CS gas has been used in spray form by many police forces as a temporary incapacitant and to subdue attackers, persons, or civil protestors. Officers who are trained in the use and application of CS spray are routinely exposed to it as part of their training. It has also been used in criminal attacks in various countries.Kelso, Paul. "CS gas attack by former pupil injures 68 children ." The Guardian. 1 October 1999. Retrieved on 23 September 2007Condon, Deborah. "Gas attack at Dublin hospital ." www.irishhealth.com . 14 May 2004. Retrieved on 23 September 2007"Shopkeeper attacked with CS gas ." BBC News. 1 December 2005. Retrieved on 23 September 2007"Car thieves spray gas at motorist ." BBC News. 4 January 2006. Retrieved on 23 September 2007

Use of CS in war is prohibited under the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention, signed by most countries in 1993 with all but five other states signing between 1994 and 1997. The reasoning behind the prohibition is pragmatic: use of CS by one combatant could easily trigger retaliation with much more toxic chemical weapons such as nerve agents. Only five countries have not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention and are therefore unhindered by restrictions on the use of CS gas: Angola, Egypt, North Korea, Somalia, and South Sudan.Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. "States that nave neither signed nor acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention ". Retrieved 17. August 2014

Bahrain

CS gas was used extensively by Bahrain's police from the start of the Bahraini uprising. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry concluded that Bahrain's police used a disproportionate amount of CS gas when dispersing protests, and that in some situations, police fired CS gas into private homes in an "unnecessary and indiscriminate" manner. In one particular incident witnessed by Commission investigators, police fired "at least four tear gas canisters (each containing six projectiles) ... from a short range into the kitchen and living room of a home."

According to opposition activists and families of the dead, ten individuals died as a result of CS gas between 25 March 2011 and 17 December 2011. One allegedly died from the impact of the CS gas canister, and the remainder are said to have died from the effects of inhaling the gas. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry received information that a further three deaths may have been attributable to the use of CS gas. Of these three, one allegedly died from the impact of the canister, and two from the effects of inhaling the gas.

Canada The Canadian Forces exposes basic training candidates to CS gas as part of CBRN training. Similar drills take place throughout a member's care. Many law enforcement agencies also use CS gas as a riot control device. Since 2008, the SPVM police force in Montreal has increased its use of CS Gas for crowd control, although Police policy is to only use it as a last resort. Several incidents where protesters have been seriously injured by having CS gas fired at them from point-blank range have raised concerns about the methodology and training of Officers in the Montreal Riot Squad, particularly in relation to "Use of Force".

Chile Tear gas is routinely used in Chile by Carabineros, to disrupt civilian protests. During the 2019 uprising the use of expired gas has been reported, prompting Carabineros to say that "they are like yogurt expired 5 days ago, it doesn’t damage people".

Peru Peru Police forces spray CS gas in riot control situations.

Cyprus CS was first tested in the field by the British army in Cyprus in 1958. At this time it was known by the code name T792."Final Report of the Expert Panel to Review SAS Veterans’ Health Concerns (Appendix D) ." Retrieved on 23 September 2007

Egypt CS has been widely used by Egyptian Police/Military Forces from January 2011 onwards.

Hong Kong

The Police Tactical Unit of the Hong Kong Police Force used 87 rounds of CS projectiles (both riot gun launched and hand thrown) in Hong Kong on 28 September 2014 against thousands of protesters obstructing major thoroughfares in Hong Kong 2014 Hong Kong protests, also known as the Umbrella Movement.

The CS gas canisters and content used were purchased by the Hong Kong SAR Government from CHEMRING, a British weapons manufacturer. The crowd used umbrellas to fend off the gas, which was often ineffective. Apart from the HK police, CS gas spray is also used by Witness Protection and Firearms Section of Independent Commission Against Corruption (Hong Kong).

From 12 June to 4 August 2019, police used 1000 tear gas canisters. Then, on the single day of 5 August, police fired more than 800 tear gas canisters in their operations throughout almost every district of the city. In one instance, a tear gas canister was deployed indoors, in Kwai Fong station during a march, on 11 August 2019. The police initially denied the incident. In defense, protestors are seen picking up tear gas cans with thick gloves to throw them back or to extinguish them in sealed water containers.

Up to 22 October 2019, over 5000 made-in-China tear gas canisters have been deployed by the Hong Kong Police Force. Canisters marked with dates overdue have been collected in many occasions. It is unpredictable for the potential hazards to the Hong Kong environment and living conditions. Recent massive deaths of fish around Hong Kong seas was also suspected to be one of the consequences. Many birds were found dead in the Chinese University of Hong Kong, after 12 November that the riot police fired over 2000 tear gases towards the campus. A Hong Kong journalist, Chan Yu-hong from the Stand News declared he was diagnosed with chloracne (by a Traditional Chinese physician instead of a physician) after exposure to made-in-China tear gas while covering the 2019 Hong Kong protests.

The overuse of tear gas has been one of the concerns in the anti-extradition bill protests.

Iraq Iraq successfully developed CS during the 1970s and during the 1980s produced tons of the substance firstly at Salman Pak and later at al-Muthanna."WMD Profiles: Chemical ." Iraq Watch . Retrieved on 23 September 2007

Blackwater Worldwide, acting as an agent of the United States, deployed CS in the Iraq War from a helicopter hovering over a checkpoint in the Green Zone in Baghdad.

Iraqi security forces deploying military-grade grenades from Iran and Bulgaria against protesters in Baghdad.

Israel Israel Police forces spray CS gas in riot control situations. It is widely used at demonstrations within the Palestinian Territories and at the Israeli West Bank barrier.

Palestinian Authority Palestinian Authority forces used CS gas against protesters in Ramallah on June 26, 2021 and against rioters in Nablus in September, 2022.

Philippines CS tear gas was used in suppression of the mutiny in Makati that was led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes. The tear gas was fired in the building and all the people in the building including reporters were affected.

Romania The Gendarmerie of Bucharest used large quantities of CS gas against civilians during the protests of 10 August 2018 in Bucharest.

Russia Russia developed in the late 1970s a K-51 grenade for riot control and for other tactical operations. The K-51 burns for 16 seconds, producing a thick CS smoke. Reportedly used in the Donetsk region of Ukraine in 2015, it has been reported in use again in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, being dropped by drones and in Ukraine in 2024.

Spain

Tear gas is not commonly used in Spain but it has been used some times to disrupt civilian protests by the Policia Nacional and Mossos d'Esquadra in Catalonia.

Sri Lanka The LTTE, also known as Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka, an insurgent group in Sri Lanka used CS gas against government forces in September 2008. Its use hindered the army's progress but ultimately proved ineffective in preventing the army from overrunning LTTE positions.

This is one of the few cases of insurgents using CS gas.

Sudan Sudanese forces extensively used CS gas during the latest wave of demonstrations began in 2018. The use of CS gas fired through rifles or hand grenades is not exclusive to police forces but is widely used by non-trained militia to suppress protesters movement and to intimidate civilians by firing blindly into neighborhoods and homes. CS gas canisters are generally used also as a ballistic weapon and aimed at the faces of protesters to cause serious body and head injuries. Some death cases were recorded due to choking on tear gas because of excessive use in confined areas.

United Kingdom

Northern Ireland

CS gas was used extensively in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland during the "Battle of the Bogside", a two-day riot in August 1969. A total of 1,091 canisters containing 12.5g of CS each, and 14 canisters containing 50 g of CS each, were released in the densely populated residential area. On 30 August the Himsworth Inquiry was set up to investigate the medical effects of its use in Derry. Its conclusions, viewed in the political context of the time, still pointed towards the necessity of further testing of CS gas before being used as a riot control agent. During the rioting in Belfast, the following year, known as the Falls Curfew, the Army fired up to 1,600 canisters into the densely populated Falls Road area. It was also used in Lenadoon on 9 July 1972 on the breakdown of the IRA ceasefire. Not long after, the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary ceased using CS in Northern Ireland.

Great Britain

CS gas CS gas has not been routinely deployed on the British mainland. It has seen use in rare cases. The first use of CS gas on the UK mainland that was not part of military training was carried out in 1944 during a hostage siege at a north London address. Soldiers were asked to throw CS grenades through the skylight in hope of bringing the incident to a speedy conclusion, but the hostage-taker had brought his civilian-issue gas mask with him, negating the effect. The siege of Trough Gate 1973 in Oldham was the second non-military use of CS gas on the UK mainland. During a four-hour standoff, Frank Alan Stockton shot at police but was flushed from his home with CS gas and police dogs.

During the 1980 assault on the Iranian Embassy, SAS soldiers used CS gas contained within stun grenades to incapacitate the militants who had kept the building under siege for six days. All but one of the remaining hostages were saved and all but one of the hostage-takers were killed, with the other being taken into custody.

In 1981, CS gas was used to quell rioting in the Toxteth area of Liverpool."On This Day: 20 May 1965: British police to be issued with tear gas ." BBC News. Retrieved on 23 September 2007

Following the 2011 England riots, there was consideration given to making CS gas, water cannon and other riot control measures available to police for use in the event of serious disorder. The British Armed Forces use CS gas annually to test their chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense (CBRN) equipment. During initial training they introduce recruits to CS gas by placing them in a small enclosed space known as a Confidence Test Facility (CTF) and igniting chemical tablets to induce CS production. After recruits have carried out their CBRN drills, they must remove their respirators so that they are exposed to the CS for up to 20 seconds to experience its effects and become confident their respirators work.

CS spray