CS incapacitant spray had been used routinely by the British police since its introduction in 1996. It was issued as an item of equipment to police officers for protection and to assist in dealing with violent incidents. British police recruits are typically exposed to CS aerosol, in a controlled environment, as part of their basic training. A six-month trial by sixteen police forces in England began on 1 March 1996. CS spray was used in the UK more than 10,000 times in the period between its introduction in 1996 and September 1998. Forces began replacing CS spray with Captor or PAVA spray, due to its non-flammable nature. This allowed use in conjunction with Tasers, which have been rolled out more widely. As a result, CS spray is now redundant – with Captor or PAVA used by all forces.