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Spheres of Influence
Top image credit: Digital Vision
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Tobacco's Profit, Workers' Loss? Valerie J. Brown Abstract
Public smoking policies are changing around the world, reducing tobacco-related health risks for a significant number of people. But the health threats to the 35 million people worldwide working in tobacco farming are still overlooked by international regulatory agreements. Conventional tobacco growing involves numerous pesticide applications and is unusually labor-intensive, compared to many other crops ; workers must spend hours in the fields in close contact with the sprayed plants. Because of these exposures, workers are at risk of developing neurological and other health problems. In developing countries where tobacco farming is rapidly expanding, even fewer worker protections are in place than in the United States. Researchers and nongovernmental organizations are working to determine the extent of the health risks of tobacco farming and bring the issue to the attention of policy makers.
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