[ Indistinct shouting ]
♪♪
-If you're exposed to tear gas, step one --
don't touch your face, don't touch your skin.
It is a completely generalized, nonspecific chemical weapon
that can have horrible consequences.
And I personally believe its use is excessive and abusive.
Touching and no water and no milk
are probably the first three things
that people are going to do when they panic,
but it's not the correct way.
This has been happening all across the United States,
and I think it just speaks to how freely
tear gas is being used on peaceful protesters.
♪♪
Hi. My name is Danielle Guldin.
And I served in the United States Marine Corps
from 2003 to 2007.
During this time, I helped train Marines
to protect themselves from chemicals such as tear gas.
With more protests and the use of tear gas on civilians,
I feel it's important to share this information
so people can know how to protect themselves.
As a Marine, I remember walking into the gas chamber
for the first time and what an overwhelming
and disorienting experience it was.
What does Marine Corps training look like?
CS capsules, tear-gas capsules,
are broken over a Bunsen burner,
which then disperses the tear gas into the gas chamber.
♪♪
This is the entire...
nuclear, biological, chemical curriculum.
I was seeing misinformation all over the place on social media,
and given that I have this specific skill set,
I knew that I could make this video and it would help people.
It has more than 2.3 million views at this point.
So I'm gonna give you some pointers
to have some confidence in handling it,
because just like I taught my fellow Marines,
when you don't panic,
you have control over the situation.
Step one -- don't touch your face, don't touch your skin.
Unbeknownst to most people, tear gas is not actually a gas.
It's actually a very, very fine powder.
When you touch your face, you're grinding
that powder into your tear ducts,
into your mucus membranes, et cetera.
If someone touches their face,
if they apply water to themselves,
that experience could be prolonged significantly.
[ Girl crying ]
The video of the little girl is extremely hard to watch.
It looks like someone poured milk over her face.
I'm sure they were trying to help.
Unfortunately, milk is a low-level acid. It will not help.
It will only make the burning sensation worse.
The best thing to do for that little girl is to just get her
out of the area and try to coax her to open her eyes
little by little and let the tear gas dry.
Step two -- get to a well-ventilated area.
Move your arms up and down to try to create a gentle wind
because this will allow the powder
to dry and flake off of you.
[ People screaming ]
This crowd is trapped on an embankment.
They have absolutely nowhere to go.
The only exit is through the tear gas.
If I were in this situation,
I would not take off running in the direction of the tear gas,
even though that is the only exit.
I would instead crouch down low to the ground,
and I would not move.
Step three -- just allow the effects to happen.
Your eyes will tear profusely.
Your mucus will start to run out of your nose.
You will cough. Simply bend over at the waist
and just let it happen.
In a perfect scenario, a person might be able to dispel
the initial effects of the tear gas in about five minutes.
A perfect scenario looks like
getting out of the way and finding fresh air
to let the powder dry and flake off of you.
Tear gas is activated by heat and water,
so it will continue to flare up on a person's body
even after the initial effects wear off.
Overall, do not panic because when you are calm,
you have control over the situation.
When you get home, remove your clothing very, very carefully.
Keep in mind that tear-gas powder
is going to be stuck to the outside,
so especially when you're removing your shirt and things,
make sure that it doesn't accidentally brush
against your face.
Make sure you wash your hands with soap and water
very thoroughly before going to the bathroom
or touching your private parts in any way.
This especially goes for people with penises.
And when you get into the shower,
you should definitely wash your eyebrows, wash your hairline
because the powder will stick there.
Disinfect from the top to the bottom, in that order.
If I were going to a protest and I thought
that I might be exposed to tear gas,
here is how I would prepare.
Long sleeves, long pants, high socks, close-toed shoes,
a scarf, hat, glasses, anything that's going to shield your skin
from the tear-gas powder.
No to contacts.
Definitely wear glasses if you have the option.
If you plan on driving to a protest,
I would suggest lining your car seats with trash bags.
So just take a trash bag, put it over the seat back,
take another one and tuck it right into the seat crease,
And it should contain any powder that falls off your clothing
and keep it off of your car interior.
When you get home, just simply fold it up,
keeping the powder inside, and throw it away.
This is a gas mask, a full-face gas mask.
This is a filter.
You can tell that it's the right filter for tear gas
because it says "CN" and "CS."
-CS is tear gas.
It's basically a very intense filtration system.
Contaminated air enters through here.
And by the time it reaches the bottom of the canister
and into your gas mask, it is fresh air.
Step one -- if you are exposed to tear gas,
stop breathing and close your eyes.
Step two -- grab your gas mask, which should be stored like this
with the head harness in front.
Step three -- pull it over your head
and use those two bottom pull tabs
to tighten it flush against your face.
Step four -- put your hand right here.
Press into the gas mask.
Blow out the remaining air that's in your lungs.
Step five -- take your hand, cover the canister.
Take a big inhale.
If the mask collapses around your face,
that's called the negative-pressure test.
That means your seal is airtight.
You can remove your hand
and feel free to simply breathe normally
because the canister and the seal is doing its job.
[ Cannisters firing ]
Even if, physiologically, people are not choking
and being asphyxiated,
even just those physical sensations
will make somebody absolutely panic.
It could cause claustrophobia.
There are so many emotional symptoms
that come with tear gas versus just the physical effects
which were already terrible enough.
The military is forbidden
from using tear gas in a wartime situation
because the use of chemical weapons
as an offensive tactic is banned.
My personal opinion is that this tear gas
should not be used on civilians.
It's disorienting, and it's dangerous
even when you're expecting it.
I think civilians who have no knowledge of this
and have no experience handling it
are completely caught off guard, and not to mention
there are a huge list of underlying health conditions
people could have that could make a reaction
much more severe for an individual.
It's a simple case of
the punishment does not fit the crime.
♪♪