Thread by @mgoldfarb999

1/ Tear Gas Is Way More Dangerous Than Police Let On — .-- Per bit.ly/30rG8Nl by @lisalsong via @ProPublica -- ,” Especially During the Coronavirus Pandemic
In the middle of a respiratory pandemic, law enforcement agencies have used tear gas in especially dangerous ways.

@lisalsong @propublica 2/ The chemical agent also seeps into homes, contaminates food, furniture, skin and surfaces, and can cause long-term lung damageTear gas can cause long-term harm,.-- Per bit.ly/30rG8Nl by @lisalsong via @ProPublica -- ,” ...

@lisalsong @propublica 3/ ... by making people more susceptible to contracting influenza, pneumonia and other illnesses..-- Per bit.ly/30rG8Nl by @lisalsong via @ProPublica -- ,”

Tear gas is the generic term for a class of compounds that cause a burning sensation.

@lisalsong @propublica 4/ Most law enforcement agencies in the U.S., including the Philadelphia Police Department this week, use a chemical called CS, .-- Per bit.ly/30rG8Nl by @lisalsong via @ProPublica -- ,” short for 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile.

@lisalsong @propublica 5/ CS activates a specific pain receptor, one that’s also triggered by eating wasabi, said Sven-Eric Jordt, a professor of anesthesiology at Duke University.

@lisalsong @propublica 6/ .-- Per bit.ly/30rG8Nl by @lisalsong via @ProPublica -- ,” But CS is much more powerful, up to 100,000 times stronger than the sting from wasabi, he said.

“They are really pain nerve gases. They are designed to induce pain.”

@lisalsong @propublica 7/ CS is particularly painful when it gets on your skin or in your eyes. (Doctors have advised protesters not to wear contact lenses.) .-- Per bit.ly/30rG8Nl by @lisalsong via @ProPublica -- ,” When inhaled, the pain induces people to cough.

@lisalsong @propublica 8/ The compound degrades the mucus membranes in your eyes, nose, mouth and lungs — .-- Per bit.ly/30rG8Nl by @lisalsong via @ProPublica -- ,” the layers of cells that help protect people from viruses and bacteria.

Scientists know little about how CS affects the…

@lisalsong @propublica 9/ …general public..-- Per bit.ly/30rG8Nl by @lisalsong via @ProPublica -- ,” The most comprehensive studies were conducted by the U.S. military on thousands of recruits who were exposed to tear gas during training exercises.

@lisalsong @propublica 10/ Afterward, it left them at higher risk for contracting influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses..-- Per bit.ly/30rG8Nl by @lisalsong via @ProPublica -- ,”

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