Incapacitating agents ‘riot control

An incapacitant is a chemical agent, which produces a temporary disabling condition that persists for hours to days after exposure to the agent has occurred (unlike that produced by riot control agents). Medical treatment while not essential may in some cases facilitate more rapid recovery. In the narrower sense the term has come to mean those agents that are ... 

CA was the first tear agent that came into existence at the end of World War I. It was outmoded in 1920 with the introduction of the CN series and is now obsolete. The tear compounds cause a flow of tears and irritation of the skin. Because tear compounds produce only transient casualties, they are widely used for training, riot control, and situations where long-term incapacitation is unacceptable. When used against poorly equipped guerrilla or revolutionary armies, these compounds have proved extremely effective. When released indoors, they can cause serious illness or death. 

The ban on the use of chemical weapons, as codified in the 1925 Geneva Protocol, was considered to constitute international law, applicable to all states. Yugoslavia had ratified the protocol and at no time indicated any desire to repudiate its treaty obligations. In earlier years certain countries, including the United States which used massive quantities of tear gas in the Vietnam War, maintained the protocol did not ban the use of riot control agents. However, incapacitating agents, like BZ, were not included in this apparent exception. 

Riot control agents are chemical compounds that temporarily Inhibit a person s ability to function by causing irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin. Sometimes known as tear gas, riot agents are present in both liquid and solid form and can be released In the air as fine droplets or particles. The purpose of their use Is to Incapacitate the victim. Riot control agents may be employed by police attempting to subdue an unruly crowd. 

Delta-3,4-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol Incapacitating agent, 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate Riot control agent (o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile)... 

DM is considered less effective as a riot control or incapacitating agent than CS and CN (chloro-acetophenone), and it has been conjectured that there are greater differences in susceptibility among people to DM than to the other agents. DM, like CS, is considered to be a cholinesterase inhibitor, which may be responsible for its lacrimatory effect. DM also has a direct effect on gastric activity, but the evidence suggests that the lethal effect is respiratory related. 

Incapacitating Agent is an agent that produces temporary physiological or mental effects, or both, which will render individuals incapable of concerted effort. Effects do not terminate when removed from contact with the agent. Compare with Riot Control Agents. 

The tear gas CS has a much higher safety margin compared to the incapacitating chemicals under investigation by various militaries today. CS therefore qualifies as a riot control agent under the CWC. 

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