Overview
- Bradford University's Michael Crowley and Malcolm Dando warn that central nervous system–acting chemicals could be used to alter perception, memory, and behaviour.
- They say rapid progress in mapping brain “survival circuits” creates dual-use knowledge that could be repurposed into coercive tools.
- The researchers cite decades of state research on CNS agents and point to the 2002 Moscow theatre siege, where a fentanyl-derived agent killed 120 hostages, as the key precedent.
- They argue that the Chemical Weapons Convention’s law-enforcement exception leaves a loophole that could allow development or use of such substances outside warfare.
- They are taking their case to the Conference of the States Parties in The Hague and propose a Holistic Arms Control approach combining treaty updates, multi-layer governance, ethics training, and stronger professional oversight.