According to a new report, Indonesian tobacco farms encourage child labor. It seems that most of the workers that come in contact with the raw product are children with ages between 8 and 18. The small ones are responsible for easy tasks like removing weeds while the older ones are in charge of watering and pesticide treatments.

A group of reporters decided to travel to Indonesia and see who are the people that handle the tobacco plants that eventually end up in the cigarettes that we smoke. After interviewing all sorts of workers, they created a comprehensive documentary that presents the current situation on tobacco farms.

According to the documentary, most Indonesian children that are born in low-income families are forced to work on tobacco farms at age 8 and higher.

The small children are in charge of removing the weeds, harvesting the tobacco leaves, and fertilizing the plants. The heavy lifting involved in the watering and insecticide spread processes is reserved for those aged 13 and higher.

Apart from the fact that the children are forced to work at very young ages, they are also exposed to countless health risks. The tobacco plant is very potent. When handled with bare hands, it transfers nicotine on the hands of the children, intoxicating them.

Nicotine poisoning is a usual occurrence among the young Indonesian workers. Unfortunately for them, some of the effects of this disorder can scar them for life.

When the body of a child is invaded by high amounts of nicotine, his or her brain is the most affected. In the case in which the infant is exposed to the substance on a regular basis, the child could end up suffering from long-term brain damage, growth impairment, and even organ failure.

Moreover, the child workers are not only exposed to nicotine but also urea, which is a highly potent insecticide.

If they somehow manage to escape the effects of the dangerous substances, they still face the risk of collapsing due to heat exposure, sustained physical effort, and exhaustion.

In the meantime, tobacco companies are buying the dried leaves from traders who hide the fact that the product was obtained through child labor. When asked about their policy on child labor, companies like Djarum refused to comment.

Image source: Wikipedia