An article on the African Tobacco Control Alliance website addresses the topic of child labor in tobacco farming.
Due to the poor conditions, many households in low-income countries have no choice but to let their children work on tobacco farms.
Children who work with tobacco are at high risk of injury and illness, such as nicotine poisoning through the skin. Children are also exposed to pesticides, which leads to a range of risks.
Child tobacco workers often work 50 or 60 hours a week in extreme heat, use sharp and dangerous tools, lift heavy loads and climb into barn rafters, risking serious injuries and falls.
Many of these working children do not go to school at all.
Tobacco leaves are grown in more than 120 countries, but the prevalence of child labor is underreported, according to the article. According to the US Department of Labor, child labor occurs in tobacco production in 19 countries.
