ISLAMABAD-The use of tear gas — particularly CS gas — as a riot control agent, cannot be reconciled with respect for fundamental human rights and should therefore be banned entirely in international law, the University of Toronto’s International Human Rights Program (IHRP) says in a report released today. Lawmakers at all levels of government should act to put forward legislation that bans use of the chemical weapon, eliminates existing stockpiles and prohibits import, export and manufacture. The use of tear gas has increased worldwide, quickly becoming a weapon of choice for policing assemblies from Iran to Hong Kong to the United States. The boom in its use by law enforcement for protests and crowd control has resulted in a corresponding expansion of the largely unregulated global market for its trade, demand for which is expected to continue growing. Used as an area weapon, tear gas is inherently indiscriminate and is frequently abused when deployed against peaceful assemblies, in enclosed spaces, in excessive quantities and against vulnerable populations. It cannot distinguish between the young and the elderly, the healthy and the sick, the peaceful and the violent. Its deployment can also cause myriad health harms, including severe injuries and death.