Tear Gas

Tear gas is much the same as pepper spray both in its aims and effects. Victims of tear gas, like those of pepper spray, are rendered powerless for minutes at a time, coughing, sneezing, gasping, and wheezing for air. The main difference is that tear gas is merely an irritant, while pepper spray is an inflammatory agent. Nevertheless, neither is pleasant to experience firsthand.

Tear gas comes in two primary forms, CS, which stands for the chemical compound chlorobenzylidenemalanonitrile, and CN, the abbreviation for chloroacetophenone. Needless to say, these are generally just referred to as CS and CN. Both agents afflict the mucous membranes and cause significant discomfort, though, as well as scientists can tell, no lasting damage. As such, they are both first choices for crowd dispersal.

The Controversy Surrounding Tear Gas

Anyone who's old enough to read and understand the world news section of a newspaper is undoubtedly already familiar with tear gas. The harassing agent is the chemical of choice for police forces vying against combative crowds of protestors and other political activists. But just because CN and CS are so widely used doesn't mean their ramifications are fully understood. To the contrary, there is much debate about the long term toxicological effects of inhaling either gas.

Since controlling the release and direction of such gases is nearly impossible, a lack of epidemiological evidence exists on their victims. There's no way to tell exactly how much CS or CN an individual might have breathed, and thus how debilitating their internal damage. For that reason, many countries have adopted bans on both agents. Still, many other countries, especially those with volatile political climates, continue to keep them within arm's reach of their military leaders.