In moments of civil unrest or protest, a thick, acrid cloud often chokes the air as law enforcement releases canisters of tear gas, a substance designed not to kill but to disorient, overwhelm, and disperse. The very presence of tear gas transforms the energy of a crowd into confusion and chaos as people try desperately to retreat.
Despite being labeled as non-lethal, tear gas is far from harmless. Though marketed as a “riot control agent,” its impact on the human body is both immediate and deeply invasive, touching nearly every sensitive membrane and organ it reaches.
What exactly is tear gas? What sort of harm can it do to the human body? And what can protesters do to protect themselves? Click through this gallery to find out.