Opioid Attack and the Implications for Counter-Terrorism Medicine

While the opioid epidemic engulfing the United States and the globe is well-documented, the potential use of powerful fentanyl derivatives as a weapon of terror is increasingly a concern. Carfentanyl, a powerful and deadly fentanyl derivative, is seeing a surge in popularity as an illegal street drug, and there is increasing congressional interest surrounding the classification of opioid derivatives under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) given their potential to cause harm. The combination of the potency of opioid derivatives along with the ease of accessibility poses a potential risk of the use of these deadly agents as chemical weapons, particularly by terrorist organizations. Disaster Medicine specialists in recent years have established a sub-specialty in Counter-Terrorism Medicine (CTM) to address and research the unique terrorism-related issues relating to mitigation, preparedness, and response measures to asymmetric, multi-modality terrorist attacks.

Tear gas safety and usage practices

While the U.N. Chemical Weapons Convention bans tear gas and other chemical weapons from use in war, their use is still allowed in domestic policing. Public concern about tear gas utilization increases when social justice protesters are subjected to these chemical demonstration control agents. The history of tear gas utilization by law enforcement in the U.S. is rife with corruption and racist intent. Furthermore, the scientific evidence supporting the safety of tear gas is lacking due to both the misinterpretation of public health studies and the paucity of controlled experiments. We find that the current utilization of tear gas is a threat to public health, free speech, and possibly falls outside of the exception for domestic use. We discuss policy alternatives that include alternative crowd control methods, changes to protocols for tear gas deployment and post-use review, increased regulatory oversight, and the possibility of a complete tear gas ban.

Part II Predominant Security Challenges and International Law, International Security, Ch.17 International Disarmament and Arms Control: In the Middle of a Paradigm Shift?

This chapter discusses disarmament and arms control, which were envisaged as an integral part of the collective security system set out in the United Nations Charter. Whereas disarmament is related to the reduction (or even the total abolition) of a category of weapons, arms control was developed in the context of nuclear deterrence. Given that the goal of arms control conventions was the stabilization of the security environment, such agreements usually included measures such as mutually agreed limitations on certain armaments or freezing their number at a given level. International law on disarmament and arms control is in essence treaty law: hence, the chapter identifies the distinctive features of the existing legal framework. In the post-Cold War era, the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention has represented the most successful model for subsequent treaties. The chapter then focuses on current developments in both international politics and military technology and their impact on international security and arms control efforts.

Rapid, In-Situ Detection of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants and Hydrolysis Products in Bulk Soils by Low-Cost 3D-Printed Cone Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are toxic chemicals that have been used as disabling or lethal weapons in war, terrorist attacks, and assassinations. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) has prohibited the...