Chemical terrorism effects

In particular, the requirement under Article I to destroy all chemical weapons would make such weapons less accessible to terrorist groups. The requirements of Article VII to criminalize the prohibitions of the CWC and enact effective penal legislation would reduce the possibility that a CWC State Party could inadvertently become a safe haven for those who use chemical weapons as a tool of terror, and would hence help reduce the threat posed by chemical terrorism. Likewise, the transfer (export control and monitoring) obligations under Article VI would serve to reduce the risk of diversion of toxic chemicals (either weaponized chemical weapons, precursors of military chemical agents, including those listed in the CWC Schedules, or other toxic chemicals) for terrorist uses. 

The Tokyo subway sarin attack occurred in 1995, following the Matsumoto sarin attack, and served as a wake-up call for anti-NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) terrorism policy throughout the world. In the 10 years since the attack, efforts to combat NBC terrorism have focused on rapid and effective measures to respond to attacks employing nerve agents such as sarin. 

By the final two decades of the twentieth century, individuals and small groups learned how to obtain and use biological and chemical weapons effectively. The tamper resistant pharmaceutical packaging we are familiar with today is a consequence of the intentional contamination of Extra Strength Tylenol capsules with cyanide (1). The first documented case of domestic biological terrorism occurred in Oregon in 1984, when a religious cult, the Rajneesh commune, sprinkled... 

Chemical terrorism The calculated use of hazardous toxic compounds or substances that may have been enhanced or modified to more effectively and efficiently debilitate or kill humans in an attempt to intimidate or coerce a government, a civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political, religious, or social objectives. 

RECOGNIZING AND DIAGNOSING HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL TERRORISM... 

From 18 January to 28 February 1991, 39 Iraqi-modified SCUD missiles reached Israel.4 Although many were off target or malfunctioned, some of them landed in and around Tel Aviv. Approximately 1,000 people were treated as a result of missile attacks, but only 2 died. Anxiety was listed as the reason for admitting 544 patients and atropine overdose for hospitalization of 230 patients. Clearly, these conventionally armed SCUDs were not effective mass casualty weapons, yet they caused significant disruption to the population of Tel Aviv. Approximately 75% of the casualties resulted from inappropriate actions or reactions on the part of the victims. Had one of the warheads contained a chemical or biological agent that killed or intoxicated a few people, the terror effect would have been even greater. 

In most plausible chemical terrorism scenarios, the rapid onset of toxic effects would lead to highly localized collections of victims within minutes or hours, so the need for active surveillance is less pressing. A network of regional poison control centers is well established, however, and, if its personnel were educated about military chemical weapons, would be well suited for surveillance. Poison control centers are also obvious candidates to serve as regional data and resource coordinating centers in incidents involving multiple sites or large numbers of patients. 

In 1996, the DoD established the DPP. One of its objectives is to enhance federal, state, and local emergency responders capabilities to respond to nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism incidents. Emergency responders who encounter a potentially contaminated area must survey the area for the presence of toxic compounds, including CWAs and explosives. Vapor content detectors commonly used or commercially available must be evaluated for their ability to effectively detect and identify CWAs. 

After the Cold War, the rise of the asymmetric warfare and the emergence of chemical terrorism (e.g., the Sarin attack in Japan) show the necessity for the development of new efficient decontamination media. The danger arising from the accidental release of toxic chemicals after the destruction of industrial plants also has to be considered. Hence, effective decontaminants are very much needed for mihtary decontamination forces but also for civilian first responders and firefighters [1],... 

In conclusion, analysis of the chemical terrorism threat shows how important it is that medical personnel consider CWs poisoning in the differential diagnosis in cases of suspected chemical terrorist attacks and have knowledge of CWAs, including their effects and medical treatment. 

TOXIC INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL (TIC). Any toxic chemical used for legitimate medical or industrial purposes. In addition to their commercial uses, TICs have been used as simulants for chemical weapons (CW), where they can aid in determining the effectiveness of respirators, detectors, and other defensive measures. Concern arises periodically, however, that TICs could be used directly by individuals or groups for chemical terrorism or could be diverted by nations into use in producing CW. TICs are also referred to as toxic industrial materials (TIM). 

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