Although not directly related to voting, I feel that it’s important to shed light on an issue that is effecting much of the US right now (and Portland specifically.) Tear Gas is being used at an alarming rate, and it’s impact on menstruating individuals and their reproductive health is potentially devastating. It’s not being talked about enough.

Menstruating people around the country are reporting abnormal periods and bleeding after exposure to Tear gas. Some are also reporting miscarriages as a result of attending protests where tear gas has been dispensed.  

Most tear gas is made from the chemical compound chlorobenzylidene malononitrile. The gas acts as a “powdered barb” with microscopic particles that are potent sensory irritants and become attached to moist mucous membranes and the skin. 

Though it has since been legalized, Chile made the use of tear gas illegal in 2011 due to the possibility of miscarriages and harm to young children. “There’s a probability that the chemical substances in tear gas can affect reproductive function, damage the fetus in the last trimester of pregnancy and children in the first years of life,” said Andrei Tchernitchin, a toxicology expert at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Chile.

There is still a lot of uncertainty about the long and short-term consequences of Tear Gas Exposure. One of the barriers in obtaining information is the difficulty in testing. It’s unethical to test tear gas on people. Researchers can use animals to mimic the effects it may have on a person. They can also collect first-hand accounts from protestors who have experienced tear gas exposure, which is mostly what we have. 

Police are making protests unsafe. Tear gas is a chemical weapon that is illegal in warfare. Having to decide whether or not it’s safe to attend a protest isn’t a choice someone should have to make. Peaceful protesters should never be attacked. Protestors, as a whole, should never be attacked. People should have the right to protest no matter what and should not have to fear health repercussions. 

So bringing this back to voting, local elections are so important. Voting in general is so important. Vote for candidates who have the citizens best interests and health in mind. Vote for candidates who support police reform and do not want to live in a state of violence. If you have experienced health repercussions from tear gas exposure, and feel safe doing so, speak out and let people know.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1127513/#:~:text=CS%20gas%20(2%2Dchlorobenzylidene%20malononitrile,tear%20gases%20in%20the%20world.&text=CS%20aerosols%20thus%20act%20as,mucous%20membranes%20and%20moist%20skin.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/22/21295159/tear-gas-menstural-cycle-miscarriage-period-protests

https://latindispatch.com/2011/05/19/chile-suspends-use-of-tear-gas-amid-concerns-over-miscarriages/