(HealthDay): Neck restraints, chokes and other neck restraints should no longer be used by U.S. law enforcement, according to a new position statement from the American Academy of Neurology (ANN ).
At the very least, federal, state, and local authorities, and policymakers should classify neck restraints as a form of deadly force.
“Because of the intrinsically dangerous nature of these techniques and because there is no training or method of applying cervical restraints that can mitigate the risk of death or permanent deep neurological damage with these maneuvers, the American Academy of Neurology recommends banning the use of neck restrictions to enforce the law, ”Orly Avitzur, MD, president of the AAN, said in an academy press release.
The deaths of George Floyd, Eric Garner and others question whether these restrictions are controllable, safe and non-lethal, and evidence clearly shows that restricting blood or oxygen flow in the brain, even briefly, it can cause permanent injuries, including strokes, mental impairment and death, according to the statement.
“The neurological consequences that result from limitation blood flow or oxygen to the brain due to the use of neck restrictions are potentially irreversible and totally preventable, ”Avitzur said.
The statement also noted that people with underlying heart risk factors are more likely to suffer significant neurological injuries from cervical restraints and that the United States has high rates of heart disease, especially among people of color.
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Citation: American Academy of Neurology says police should stop using neck restraints (2021, June 10) recovered on June 10, 2021 at https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06- american-academy-neurology-police-neck.html
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