A new study by five doctoral students in neuroscience at the University of Minnesota Medical School calls attention to a lack of regulation and unknown long-term health effects of tear gas. Based on their research, the group recommends changing the protocols around the use of tear gas as a crowd control measure at both the local and national level.
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MINNEAPOLIS/ST.PAUL (04/26/2021) A new study by five doctoral students in neuroscience at the University of Minnesota Medical School calls attention to a lack of regulation and unknown long-term health effects of tear gas. Based on their research, the group recommends changing the protocols around the use of tear gas as a crowd control measure at both the local and national level. Following the murder of George Floyd and the protests in our city, we felt compelled to dig into the police force used during those protests. We are trained to look at data and draw conclusions, said Jennifer Brown, a graduate student in the U of M Medical School s Graduate Program in Neuroscience and lead author of the study. Investigating the use of tear gas on crowds was something we felt we could contribute to this social justice movement.