Tear gas loses its effectiveness following expiration and does not cause serious harm to victims, Sri Lanka Police informed the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts.
A senior Police officer speaking during a discussion with COPA stated that this was why during certain instances in Sri Lanka the Police are seen handling tear gas with their hands.
He further stated that those alleging that expired tear gas cause serious harm to people, including death, must prove so, while it must also be proven that the tear gas in question was an expired product.
The information was relayed to the COPA committee by the Sri Lanka Police when questions were raised on a stock of tear gas imported in 2012 which is reported to be expired at present.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) C. D. Wickremeratne also explained that the Police consists of two units, the proactive and reactive Police units, to deal with incidents in the country.
“The Police need to be prepared to face various security-related incidents. As preparatory measures, tear gas is imported. However, depending on the state of the country, there are instances where the tear gas is not used and tends to expire,” he said. (NewsWire)
Tear gas loses its effectiveness following expiration and does not cause serious harm to victims, Sri Lanka Police informed Parliament . A senior Police officer speaking during a discussion with COPA stated that this was why during certain instances in Sri Lanka the Police are… pic.twitter.com/a96CjJTP0E
— NewsWire 🇱🇰 (@NewsWireLK) April 28, 2023