By Dr. Angie Bond, PhD

What is “Tear Gas” made of?
Tear gas is actually a powder that spreads in a cloud through the air when it high-pressure canister that holds it breaks. These powders have three different formulas, but all of them are designed to work the same way.

What does it do?
The chemicals are made to send pain signals in the body and cause tightening of the throat. Crying, coughing, choking, running nose, throwing up, stomach pain, diarrhea, itching, burning, rash, and breathing problems can happen from short exposures, and long exposures can result in symptoms that last up to 10 months.¹ People with heart or breathing problems can have life-threatening reactions to exposure to tear gas. One kind of tear gas (CS gas) causes miscarriage and development problems for the fetus in animals and may have the same effect on humans.²

Can it get into breastmilk?
Tear gas chemicals work because they break down in contact with skin and mucous membranes. They are not easily absorbed into the blood. No human tests for tear gas have been done for either milk or blood, but in animals, the chemicals only last in the blood for seconds. Things that are not in the blood cannot get into milk itself, but a powder that might be on the skin can get into expressed milk or expose a baby during latched feeding. Breastfeeding or milk expression is recommended to be avoided for an hour after exposure or an hour after cleaning skin and hair to ensure all possible chemicals are gone from the blood and milk, but there is no recommendation to pump and dump.³ To stop accidentally exposing an infant or getting residue in milk, anyone who has been exposed should use disposable cleaning towels and cool soapy water to wash skin and hair, starting with the head and working down the body toward the feet. Clothes should be removed while wearing gloves without going over the face (cut shirts off if needed) and disposed of in plastic bags. Eyes can be rinsed with milk or sterile saline or clean water.⁴

Is it safe to share milk if the donor was exposed to tear gas?
Tear gas does not cause any known short- or long-term changes in human or animal milk. After the donor has cleaned their skin and hair, there is no known risk for contamination. Informed choice means that each family will need to decide for themselves if tear gas exposure is safe for sharing milk.

What is “Pepper Spray” made of?
Pepper spray is an oil-based spray that uses the chemical oleoresin capsicum found in chili peppers in very high concentrations mixed with rubbing alcohol or other dispersing liquids.

What does pepper spray do?
Pepper spray causes pain and swelling when it touches skin and mucous membranes. It can also cause blisters and corneal abrasions, nerve damage, bleeding problems for people on blood thinners, or allergic reactions.⁵ People exposed to pepper spray most often experience itching, burning, pain, rash crying, coughing, throwing up, sensitivity to pain, numbness, and swelling of the throat. Symptoms last up to several hours, and complications can last for days to weeks.

Can it get into milk?
Oleoresin capsicum breaks down to capsaicin. Capsaicin is considered safe for use during breastfeeding as a diet supplement, food, and skin ointment. The amount of active time in the blood for capsaicin is about 25 minutes. There are reports of capsaicin in human milk after eating capsaicin but at very low concentrations. Some infants have been reported to develop a rash after exposure to capsaicin from human milk.⁶ It is also possible for oil residue on the skin to contaminate expressed milk, or expose an infant accidentally during latched feeding if there is still oil on the skin. To avoid accidentally exposing an infant, clothing should be removed while wearing gloves and placed into a sealed plastic bag without touching the face or genitals. Cut clothing off if necessary. Eyes should be rinsed for 20 minutes with a lot of cool water. The skin should be washed starting with the face and moving from the head down the body to the feet with water and non-oil-based soap. There is no recommended wait time to express milk or feed a baby after consuming or being exposed to capsaicin, and no recommendation to pump and dump milk.

Is it safe to share milk if the donor was exposed to pepper spray?
Capsaicin is considered safe during breastfeeding for all individuals and infants who are not allergic to capsaicin, peppers, or related plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, and paprika.⁷ Informed choice means that each family will need to decide for themselves if tear pepper spray exposure is safe for sharing milk.

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1. Karagama et al., 2003 ↩︎
2. Physicians for Human Rights – Chemical Irritants ↩︎
3. Rothenberg, 2016 – Tear gas: an epidemiological and mechanistic reassessment ↩︎
4. Center for Health Protection, Hong Kong – Health Information on Tear Gas ↩︎
5. National Collaborating Health Centre for Environmental Health, Canada – Pepper spray in the indoor environment and in the vicinity of food products and preparation surfaces ↩︎
6. LactMed –Capsaicin ↩︎
7. LactMed – Capsicum ↩︎