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A 2014 US military study also revealed that exposure to tear gas and peppery gas make people vulnerable to respiratory infections In the week following the exhibition compared to the week preceding the exhibition. Army recruits exposed to CS tear gas only once during basic formation had a much higher probability of developing respiratory diseases such as viral diseases such as flu, pneumonia or bronchitis. This study and others conducted the American Thoracic Society in 2020 to call a moratorium on the use of tear gas and other chemical agents during manifestations of racial justice. One of the concerns was that their use could increase the chances of getting sick with Covid-19.
“The science used to justify the use of tear gas is obsolete,” explains Sven-Eric Jordt, an associate professor of anesthesiology, pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine who helped to Audon the recommendations of American thoracic society.
A large part of the research on the health effects of exposure to tear gas and other chemical agents is based on military research which was carried out in the 1950s, 60s and 70s on young and healthy men. He says that these studies do not deal with potential health effects on a broader civilian population. They do not take into account more advanced launch technologies developed in recent years which allow the deployment of much higher quantities of tear gas over longer distances.
In some cases, the effects of these agents are not due to the chemicals themselves. “People can be injured when they are in contact with the cans accustomed to dispersing the gas, and this may include blunt trauma or injuries to burn,” says Calello. In Los Angeles, federal agents would have pulled hard plastic pepper ballsAlso known as spray projectiles with pepper, among demonstrators.
Injuries can also occur from rubber bullets with a blunt point. Their name is a little misleading, explains Rohini Haar, emergency doctor and medical advisor at Physicians for Human Rights, since many rubber bullets are in fact in hard or foam plastic and some even have a metal nucleus.
“They are no less fatal if they are used fatally,” explains Haar, who is also an auxiliary professor of epidemiology at UC Berkeley. “There are many, many of them cause death, and there are also a lot of trauma that can be caused, even if they do not penetrate the skin.” The greatest concern comes in if these projectiles hit the neck or face, especially the eyes. There have been cases of rubber bullets causing blindness, traumatic brain lesions and disfigurement, and less seriously, bones broken in other areas of the body.
A 2017 study By Haar and his colleagues found that around 3% of people affected by rubber bullets died of the resulting injury, while 15% of the 1,984 people studied were permanently injured. A 2020 analysis Released by Physicians for Human Rights and Co-author by Haar found that at least 115 people had head injuries when police shot them with rubber and plastic bullets in the first two months of American demonstrations in response to the death of George Floyd police.
In 2020, the American Academy of Ophthalmology called the national officials of the Application of Laws to Complete the use of rubber bullets and similar projectiles to control or disperse crowds of demonstrators.
If you are exposed to tear gas or pepper spray, experts recommend fleeing as quickly as possible, finding a higher floor and covering your mouth and nose. When possible, remove the contaminated clothes and wash with large amounts of soap and water. If you experience serious symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.
If you plan to attend an event, plan to wear shoes with closed ends and long sleeves. Eye protection and N95 facial masks can also help reduce exposure.
