What Is Tear Gas?
CDC says riot control agents, also called tear gas, are chemical compounds that temporarily make people unable to function by irritating the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs and skin, and include chloroacetophenone (CN) and chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS). They are used by law enforcement for crowd control and by the general public for personal protection, as with pepper spray.
CDC says they cause irritation within seconds of exposure, and the effects usually last only 15 to 30 minutes after a person is away from the source and cleaned off. Symptoms right after exposure can include excessive tearing, burning, blurred vision and redness of the eyes, a runny or burning nose, burning in the mouth and drooling, chest tightness, coughing, choking, wheezing and shortness of breath, skin burns or rash, and nausea and vomiting.
Because breathing it in is the main way people are exposed, CDC says to leave the area and get fresh air, which is highly effective in reducing exposure. It advises removing clothing quickly, cutting it off rather than pulling it over the head, washing the skin with lots of soap and water, rinsing burning or blurry eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes, and getting medical care. It says no antidote exists, and that treatment involves helping the person get more oxygen, stopping chemical burns from getting worse, possibly asthma medicines, rinsing the eyes and standard burn care.
CDC says long-lasting exposure or a large dose may cause severe effects such as glaucoma, eye scarring, cataracts and breathing problems such as asthma, and in the most severe cases blindness or respiratory failure possibly resulting in death, but that long-term effects are unlikely if symptoms go away soon after exposure ends. A 2014 study comparing 93 men frequently exposed to tear gases with 55 unexposed subjects found the odds of chest tightness, breathlessness, winter morning cough and phlegm were almost 2 to 2.5 times higher among the exposed, and its authors concluded the exposed subjects were at risk for chronic bronchitis.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Medical referenceCDC says riot control agents, also called tear gas, temporarily make people unable to function by irritating the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs and skin, and include CN and CS. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says riot control agents are used by law enforcement for crowd control and by the general public for personal protection, such as pepper spray. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says riot control agents irritate the eyes, skin or nose within seconds, and effects usually last 15 to 30 minutes after a person is away from the source and cleaned off. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says immediate tear gas symptoms can include excessive tearing, burning and blurred vision, runny nose, chest tightness, coughing, choking, skin burns, and nausea and vomiting. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says long-lasting exposure or a large dose of riot control agents may cause severe effects such as blindness, glaucoma, and respiratory failure possibly resulting in death. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says that because breathing in riot control agents is the main exposure route, leaving the area for fresh air is highly effective in reducing exposure. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC advises people exposed to riot control agents to remove clothing quickly, cutting it off rather than pulling it over the head, and to get medical care. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says no antidote exists for riot control agent poisoning, and treatment involves helping the person get more oxygen and stopping chemical burns from getting worse. CDC ↗
- Government sourceCDC says large or long-lasting riot control agent exposure may cause glaucoma, eye scarring, cataracts and asthma-like breathing problems, especially after exposure in a closed setting. CDC ↗
- StudyA 2014 study used a NIOSH questionnaire and lung function tests to compare 93 men frequently exposed to tear gases with 55 unexposed subjects. Arbak et al., The Scientific World Journal, via PubMed Central ↗
- StudyThe 2014 study found odds of chest tightness, breathlessness, winter morning cough and phlegm almost 2 to 2.5 times higher among people exposed to tear gases. Arbak et al., The Scientific World Journal, via PubMed Central ↗
- StudyThe 2014 study's authors concluded that people previously exposed to tear gases had high rates of respiratory complaints and were at risk for chronic bronchitis. Arbak et al., The Scientific World Journal, via PubMed Central ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.