Riot Control Agents

Background

Riot control agents (also called "tear gas") are chemical compounds that temporarily make people unable to function. It does this by causing irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin.

Several different compounds are riot control agents:

• Chloroacetophenone (CN)
• Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS)
• Chloropicrin (PS) - also used as a fumigant
• Bromobenzylcyanide (CA)
• Dibenzoxazepine (CR)
• Combinations of various agents.

Where it is found

Riot control agents are used by law enforcement officials for crowd control. It is also used by individuals and the general public for personal protection (for example, pepper spray).

CS is also used in military settings to test the speed and ability of military personnel to use their gas masks.

How it works

Riot control agents work by causing irritation to the area of contact (for example, eyes, skin, nose) within seconds of exposure.

The effects usually only last 15 to 30 minutes after the person is away from the source and cleaned off.

Signs and symptoms

The level of poisoning depends on the amount someone was exposed to, how the person was exposed, and for how long. It also depends on the location of exposure (indoors versus outdoors).

People exposed to riot control agents may experience some or all of the following symptoms immediately after exposure:

• Eyes: excessive tearing, burning, blurred vision, redness
• Nose: runny nose, burning, swelling
• Mouth: burning, irritation, difficulty swallowing, drooling
• Lungs: chest tightness, coughing, choking sensation, noisy breathing (wheezing), shortness of breath
• Skin: burns, rash
• Other: nausea and vomiting

Long lasting exposure or exposure to a large dose may cause severe effects such as:

• Blindness
• Glaucoma - a serious eye condition that can lead to blindess
• Immediate death due to severe chemical burns to the throat and lungs
• Respiratory failure possibly resulting in death

Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to riot control agents.

Exposure

Riot control agents such as CN and CS are liquids or solids (for example, powders). Therefore, they could be released in the air as fine droplets or particles.

If agents are released into the air, people could be exposed through skin contact, eye contact, or breathing them in.

What to do if you are exposed

Since breathing in riot control agents is the primary way of exposure, leave the area and get fresh air. Quickly moving to an area where fresh air is available is highly effective in reducing exposure to riot control agents.

If the riot control agents were released outdoors, move away from the area where the agents were released. Stay away from dense, low-lying clouds of riot control agent vapor. Go to the highest ground possible. Riot control agents will form a dense vapor cloud that can travel close to the ground.

If the riot control agents were released indoors, get out of the building.

Evacuate or "shelter in place"

If you are near a release, emergency teams may tell you to evacuate the area or "shelter in place" inside.

Take off your clothes

Remove the clothing as quickly as possible. Cut clothes off instead of pulling it over the head. If you are helping others, do not touch unsafe areas.

Wash your body

Wash any riot control agents from your skin with lots of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will protect you from any chemicals on your body.

If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes.

If you wear contacts, remove them and put them with the dirty clothing. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes (even if they are not disposable contacts).

If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them.

Throw your clothes away

After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag. Avoid touching unsafe areas of the clothing. If you can't avoid touching unsafe areas, or you aren't sure where the unsafe areas are, wear rubber gloves. You can also use tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects to put the clothing in the bag.

Anything that touches the dirty clothing should also be placed in the bag. If you wear contacts, put them in the plastic bag, too.

Seal or tie the bag, and then put that bag inside another plastic bag. Throwing away your clothes this way helps protect you and others from any chemicals that might be on your clothes.

When the local or state health department or emergency team arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or emergency team will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself.

Treatment

Treatment involves helping the affected person get more oxygen in his or her blood and stopping chemical burns from getting worse. Medications that are used to treat asthma (such as bronchodilators and steroids) may also be used to help the person breathe.

Treating eye exposures involves rinsing the eyes with water until there is no sign of riot control agents in the eyes.

Burn injuries to the skin are treated with standard burn management techniques, including use of medicated bandages.

No antidote exists for poisoning from riot control agents.

Long-term health effects

Long-lasting exposure or exposure to a large amount of riot control agent may cause severe effects such as the following:

• Glaucoma (a serious eye condition that can lead to blindness)
• Eye scarring
• Cataracts
• Breathing problems, such as asthma

These effects are more likely if someone was expsoed in a closed setting, such as indoors.

If symptoms go away soon after a person is no longer exposed, long-term health effects are unlikely to happen.

More information

You can contact one of the following:

• Regional poison control center: 1-800-222-1222
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Response Hotline
  • Phone: 800-CDC-INFO
  • Teletypewriter (TTY): 888-232-6348
  • E-mail inquiries: cdcinfo@cdc.gov