Tobacco’s Hidden Children: Hazardous child labor in United States tobacco farming

This publication by Human Rights Watch explores the plight of hazardous child labour conditions in United States tobacco farming, in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Human Rights Watch interviewed 141 child tobacco workers, aged 7 to 17, from 2012 to 2013. Nearly three-quarters of children interviewed reported the sudden onset of serious symptoms – including nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, headaches, dizziness, skin rashes, difficulty breathing, and irritation to their eyes and mouths – while working in both fields and barns of tobacco plants.

This report explores the physical, mental, and long term impacts of hazardous child labour on tobacco farms – including impacts on the child’s health and education. Human Rights Watch finds that the vulnerable state of children requires more dedicated attention on behalf of the US and international governments.