Special mention: Riot control agents

While not strictly banned by the CWC (it doesn’t apply to domestic law enforcement), riot control agents have often been used with devastating effects. Their temporary effects include crying, uncontrollable blinking, burning in the throat, sneezing, coughing, vomiting, and at times temporary blindness.

Dina Esfandiary is a research associate, Non-proliferation and Disarmament Programme, at The International Institute for Strategic Studies. Follow her on Twitter: @DEsfandiary.

This article first appeared in 2014. It is being republished due to reader interest.

Image: China Daily/REUTERS.