“This long-term impact will not go away without a trace” – a combination of pepper spray, tear gas, and water

The protests in Tbilisi are in their tenth day. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has been periodically using pepper spray, tear gas (CS or CN) and water cannon against citizens. Of course, all chemical agents have specific instructions for use. And violating these instructions is dangerous for human life.

Chemical agents pose a threat not only to individual protesters who are on the front lines during the crackdown, but also to anyone present. Including a well-equipped member of a special forces unit. “We are convinced that this long-term impact will not go unnoticed in terms of the health of those exposed, whether they are peaceful protesters, residents living nearby or the special forces themselves,” said Amiran Gamkrelidze, former director of the National Center for Disease Control.

Effects of Long-term Use of Substances

Long-term use of pepper spray can cause damage to the skin, mucous membranes of the eyes, lungs, and nervous system:

Long-term use of pepper spray can cause conjunctivitis, or irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes, and keratitis, or irritation of the cornea, an inflammatory reaction of the cornea that may require medical intervention;
Use of the substance causes lung damage: persistent cough, bronchospasm, and worsening of asthma;
Pepper spray can cause itching or chemical burns;
Repeated exposure can cause chronic pain or loss of sensation.
Long-term use of pepper spray can cause chronic lung damage, permanent eye damage, chemical burns to the mucous membranes, and heart problems.

Bronchitis, damage to lung tissue, permanent difficulty breathing;
Cataracts or other eye pathologies;
If the gas is used in high concentrations or at close range, it can cause tissue infection or local necrosis;
The combination of stress and mustard gas can cause nausea, arrhythmia, or heart attack.
People with asthma, allergies, or lung diseases, pregnant women, children, and the elderly are at particular risk.

Doctors say that the effects are much more severe and dangerous in the above-mentioned groups. In children and the elderly, the body’s weaker reaction leads to serious health complications.

The combination of pepper spray, mustard gas, and water

According to doctors, mixing pepper spray and mustard gas with water is especially risky.,, The effects of mustard gas can become more severe because water droplets help the gas enter the lungs (at high concentrations). causes severe bronchospasm, pulmonary edema or respiratory system collapse, and high concentrations of pepper spray and tear gas (especially when mixed with water) can cause chemical burns to the skin, eye damage and allergic shock,” writes Dr. Zura Sikharulidze.

For several days now, protesters have been saying that pepper spray is mixed into the water jet. Traces of pepper spray are also visible on their clothes, which are reddish in color. According to Dr. Giorgi Kamkamidze, this combination is a “chemical weapon” used by the state against citizens.

“The substances intended to disperse gatherings become chemical weapons when they are mixed with water, which is directed at unprotected participants of a peaceful rally with a high-pressure stream. Thus, the water flow is a carrier of a toxic chemical substance, and the definition of a chemical weapon is nothing else than “a toxic substance + a means of transport for mass human casualties,” writes Dr. Giorgi Kamkamidze. According to him, prolonged use of a chemical substance in high doses can cause glaucoma, blindness, burns of the respiratory system, allergic shock, and sudden death.

Psychological support

In addition to physical danger, citizens also talk about psychological complications during the demonstration. Psychologists advise protest participants to help each other during stress, dissociation, and panic attacks. Psychologist Maia Tsiramua writes that during a panic attack, it is necessary to: regain a sense of support, release excess adrenaline, regulate breathing, restore clarity of consciousness, and return the nervous system to an optimal state.

Photo: Manon Bokuchava