Tobacco Tales

With all the recurrent UK concerns about unhealthy diets and the perceived 'success' of the anti-smoking campaigns (including the development of 'healthy' vaping), one might have got the impression that tobacco no longer poses any health issues. There is, however, evidence that child labour is rampant in countries, such as Malawi, that farm the plant (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/25/revealed-child-labor-rampant-in-tobacco-industry). The children not only miss out on education but are exposed, under gruelling extended conditions, to toxic pesticides and fertilisers used on the crop. One of the less reported consequences is a high incidence of 'Green Tobacco Sickness' which results from workers, of any age, directly handling (under damp conditions-via watering or sweat) the leaves of the plants. This results in nicotine poisoning (nicotine is a highly toxic protection presumably used by the plant to deter herbivores) via the skin. The poisoning results in nausea, sickness, stomach cramps and migraines.