Em Pulse

“Less Lethal” Crowd Control You may have heard of “non-lethal” or “less lethal” weapons used for crowd control. These include things such as pepper spray, tear gas, bean bags, and rubber bullets. But, while these may be less lethal than standard weapons and bullets, they still cause serious harm and even death. As protests raged across the U.S. this summer, we have seen many injuries associated with these methods. Dr. James Chenoweth, an emergency physician and toxicologist, joins us to explain what these weapons are and what kind of damage they can cause, as well as some tips for treating these injuries. Dr. Kara Toles worked as a street medic in the recent protests in Sacramento. She shares her experience, including key supplies she carries in her pack, and what it’s like to be in the middle of a peaceful protest turned violent. As physicians, we should be concerned about the physical injuries these crowd control methods cause, as well as the psychological effects.   Have you treated patients with injurie