Which term describes substances prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention?

• A. Chemical Weapons
• B. Biological Weapons
• C. Nerve Agents
• D. Riot Control Agents

Answer: (A)

The main idea is understanding what the Chemical Weapons Convention bans. The term chemical weapons refers to any toxic chemical or its precursors, or any delivery system designed to use such chemicals to harm or kill. This is the broad category covered by the treaty and thus the substances described as prohibited under the CWC. Nerve agents are examples of chemical weapons, but they are not the umbrella term for the whole prohibited group. Biological weapons fall under a different treaty (the Biological Weapons Convention), and riot control agents are permitted for legitimate law enforcement use in many contexts, so they aren’t the general category of prohibited substances under the CWC.