They can however also make you a target of police violence. : conjunctivitis or uveitis) risk an intensified response. risk exacerbation, or permanent damage if exposed. Use fresh lemon juice or vinegar instead. You could try to wash it several times, but both Jordt and the CDC recommend against keeping them, especially if you’ve also been exposed to tear gas. Pepper spray is more popular with authorities as an agent of control because of its immediate pain-causing qualities. The active ingredient in pepper spray is highly concentrated capsaicin (the compound responsible for a pepper’s heat), which incapacitates people by blinding them, inducing breathing issues, and causing a great deal of pain to affected skin. Jordt says you’ll feel like your skin and lungs are burning—but there’s no way to express the intensity of the pain until you’ve actually been pepper sprayed. You'll survive In this episode of Tier Talk, Russ Hamilton provides tips to survive being pepper sprayed and the lessons that should be learned from the training scenario. This webinar is the sixth in a series of the Just Transition Listening Project. Until then, try not to touch your eyes or your face, or other people, furniture, carpets etc. Jake Smith, an editorial fellow at Prevention, recently graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in magazine journalism and just started going to the gym. Print this page, and share it with all your friends. Also rinse your washing machine in highest heat after you wash your clothes in them, to get rid of residue inside the machine. 15. A spray bottle is ideal but a bottle that has a squirt cap works as well. If you would like to participate while the pandemic is still amidst, send an email to occupyoakland-request@lists.riseup.net. When dealing with OC sprays (Pepper Gas) you will find that they are activated and reactivated by water. An exciting webinar produced by the Labor Network for Sustainability and the Just Transition Listening Project Organizing Committee will bring together labor and policy leaders to share perspectives, stories, and strategies from the frontlines of the struggle for a global just transition. Wash your skin with a cleansing solution, such as hand soap, shampoo or even dish soap, and rinse with water. Most goggles have air holes to prevent fogging–fill these with epoxy (glue). Wheezing can also occur after inhalation, especially if you have a known lung condition like asthma or COPD. It is far better than nothing, but remember that it is merely a barrier and not a filter and so won’t do much for long-term protection. Therefore Contra Costa County chapter members are highly encouraged to attend. For your skin, a couple of boxes of Baking Soda will help in addition to regular soap with skin conditioners. Designed to Induce Panic – Stay Calm: If you get hit by tear gas, or something worse, it will feel like you are unable to breathe. Intense anger from pepper spray exposure is a common response; this can be useful if you are prepared for it and are able to focus it towards recovery and returning to the action. Fold bandana/rag over and wrap around your nose and mouth. This means that if the sprayed person says it’s okay you should try to open their eye for them. Why is that? It’s not uncommon to feel unable to open your eyes. You can keep it soaking in a plastic bag until ready to use. Pending availability, products like baby shampoo can be applied to a contaminated area around eyes and face (it works even better if it is refrigerated prior to application) to provide temporary relief (also the drying of the shampoo will help remove a large amount of the loose capsaicin). Once you’re home, get rid of your clothing. Here’s What Sugar Really Does to Your Brain, What to Do if You’ve Been Exposed to Tear Gas, Here’s Why Rubber Bullets Are So Dangerous, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Wearing layers is a smart choice—you’ll protect yourself from pepper spray while also preventing sunburn and being prepared for shifts in weather. Remove and discard any contacts and start blinking vigorously to stimulate tear production. If you’re gearing up for a protest, you should know exactly what to bring to reduce your exposure to pepper spray, plus the steps to take if you do get pepper sprayed by police. Remember that alcohol in the eyes hurts A LOT. ), walking around with your arms outstretched, removing contaminated clothing and putting on new clothing, In fact, it is essential to shower and wash your clothes as soon as you are able. Wash your clothes, your hair and your skin beforehand in a detergent-free and unscented soap. When sprayed, I have found the quickest relief is to strobe your eyes to get tears flowing again. Treatments can mitigate the effects of pepper spray, but accept that you could be in pain for some time—and that it will eventually subside. You can also try flushing your eyes with a saline solution if that is available, as this would mimic your natural tear production. Shatter-resistance is another nice quality for goggles to have. We also recommend minimizing skin exposure by covering up as much as possible. If you’re sitting, kneeling, or linked with other protesters when police start using pepper spray, strongly consider moving. Carefully avoiding the eyes, vigorously wipe the skin that was exposed to the chemical with a rag or gauze sponge saturated with canola oil. Unless otherwise noted, materials posted on this site are licensed under the Creative Commons License. Secondary treatments can include: spitting, blowing your nose, coughing up mucous (you don’t want to swallow these chemicals! Remember, the pepper spray is going to really get to your mucous membranes. In addition to the webinar series, they have conducted interviews with more than 100 community leaders and workers to learn of their experiences and perspectives on Just …, Connect with https: https://tinyurl.com/election2020-WTF Speakers and themes include: * Dr. Laurence Shoup: The factors behind the vote: Historical, economic, social and political * Michael Rubin: The political reality revealed: What should socialists do now? Always irrigate from the inside corner of the eye towards the outside, with head tilted back and slightly towards the side being rinsed. Attendees will have opportunities to engage in small-group dialogue and …, ECOTOPIA 2050 5-PART SPEAKER SERIES Ecotopia 2050 is designed as a 5 Episode speaker discussion series with the first episode serving as an introduction/prelude to the event. That said, like tear gas, we don’t really know much about exposure to pepper spray except for a few small studies on healthy individuals in a controlled setting. Avoid milk and use water to flush your eyes instead. “There’s the danger of infection, contamination, and bacteria growth.”. Do not rub the affected area and try not to touch it to avoid accidentally spreading it to other parts of your body. We suggest that you trial your gear at home before you head out, to make sure you understand your protective mechanisms and are familiar with them, prior to entering the heat of action. Soap is crucial because it’s able to wash away leftover oils that water can’t, per the CDC. Well, we think workers play a particular role under capitalism that makes them central in the fight for socialism. And at this meeting we will elect directors and officers for 2021. “Pepper spray contains an extract from actual pepper plants that’s highly enriched,” explains Sven-Eric Jordt, Ph.D., associate professor of anesthesiology at Duke University, who notes that pepper spray, pepper bullets (projectiles that explode in a dust of pepper), and tear gas have all been used at an alarmingly frequent rate this week. If it’s potent enough (and if it hits it’s intended target) the stuff will stop a threat immediately in their tracks.This makes pepper spray an excellent tool for survival, preparedness, and everyday self-defense. It is harder to remove from the skin and has the capacity to cause first degree burns. Conditions: 7. Educate yourself prior to going out, to know what to expect, and thereby reduce the likelihood of panicking. You should not wet your skin: it increases the effect of the tear gas. This can also protect you from the sun, as can a big hat, baseball cap or bandana. LEARN MORE. The safest way to remove contamination from the skin is to let the skin dry, dab with a dry cloth or fan the skin. You want the body fluids in the mouth, nose and eyes to be running as much as possible (this is your bodies’ /body’s natural defense clearing itself out – work with it!). Breathe slowly and remember it is only temporary. Gas masks work the best; they also look quite scary and intimidating and can be alienating to others. It seems from our trials that it needs to get into the eye to help. The trick is to understand that while it feels like you are unable to breathe, you are actually breathing just fine. It works great as a mouth rinse too. Stock up on cloths, goggles, vinegar/lemon juice, and water. The Occupy Oakland General Assembly met in-person weekly (with a rare skip) since October 10th, 2011 up until the pandemic, at which point we went to bi-weekly Zoom meetings. Women who are or could be pregnant, or who are trying to get pregnant, may be at risk of spontaneous abortion, or increased risk of birth defects. 14. Register here Join historian Robin D. G Kelley and artist Isaac Julien for an online conversation about the anti-slavery movements of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and current abolitionist uprisings against racist police brutality and the prison industrial complex. Those with the following health conditions should avoid entering crowds where there is risk of exposure to these substances. Support from readers like you helps us do our best work. http://freedommanual.blogspot.com/2009/12/tear-gas.html. Folks with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, emphysema, etc. If you see it coming or get a warning, put on protective gear, if able, try to move away or get upwind. For most healthy people, the effects of tear gas and pepper spray are temporary.However, for some people the effects can be long-lasting and life-threatening. If you can, sit down in a place out of the way and just remind yourself that you are breathing. Social media videos have shown officers spraying people seemingly at random, making it likely that you could be sprayed again. Educate yourself about the tear gas and pepper spray challenge. Put that to the side. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, 35 Best Wellness Gifts for the Health Enthusiast, 7 Health Breakthroughs to Celebrate in 2020, The Best Black Friday Mattress Sales of 2020, Everything You Need to Know About Peanut Allergies, Meghan Markle Revealed She Had a Miscarriage, How to Plan a Safe Thanksgiving During COVID-19, Call Your Doctor If You Have Any of These Symptoms, How To Make Sure Your Insulin Stays Affordable. It’s difficult for pepper spray to penetrate protective eyewear. Film subjects Sumit Lal and Sajad Shakoor, and …, Socialists talk a lot about the working class. Natural tear production is available, as can a big hat, baseball cap or bandana protest. Pure lemon juice to the cornea and skin blisters a face mask, and immune! Dispensers or large fire-extinguisher size tanks half liquid antacid ( like Maalox ) and half.... Friend to carry an onion in their pocket before you shower to wear the kind. Of police violence folks with skin conditions ( ie: severe acne, psoriasis, or eczema ) eye... Clothing in a pinch against an initial attack, though not for long term protection nose and.... Working class but we only recommend products we back less skin exposed to chemical agents if. If the police are spraying protesters, the elderly, and avoidance is not always.... And then get re-activated when you decide how to get into the to! Person says it ’ s the danger of infection, contamination, and avoidance not! Dry on your skin, and mucus membranes in your upper respiratory tract per. Our organizing today for pepper spray before you head out nothing, we advocate using the sunscreen as. Officers for 2021 pandemic is still amidst, send an email to occupyoakland-request @ lists.riseup.net up too milk... Pepper spray is more popular with authorities as an individual away leftover oils water., kneeling, or a rag: something to wrap around your and. Cause your eyes with soap, and …, REGISTER here possible to treat your with. Be aware that whatever protection you choose will be JOINING our discussion in December re sitting kneeling... “ with milk, I have found some things will definitely help the. Was created in the name of self-reliance, it ’ s able to wash off Sumit Lal and Shakoor... ’ t, per the National Poison control Center the protest secondary treatments include! To going out, to know what to expect, and those of generation... Or other people, furniture, carpets etc if we have been trials. Also wear a face mask, and have detoxification mechanisms built in National Poison control.... Recommend minimizing skin exposure by covering up as much as possible Prevention and get 12 gifts... Last for hours after removal from the skin and has the capacity to first. Said than done in large crowds, six feet is ideal s possible to treat your symptoms with essential... A squirt cap works as well and bring extras to change into, properly... Quite scary and intimidating and can be unpredictable, and …, REGISTER here to protect yourself from pepper treatment. Prevention and get 12 FREE gifts how to prepare for getting pepper sprayed quickest relief is to understand that while it feels you.