Modern day slavery and child labor exploitation in US tobacco fields

There are more people enslaved today than at any point in history, and this staggering statistic includes children who are victims of forced labor and exploitation. Take a look at the photo essay below created by Marcus Bleasdale and made available through Human Rights Watch. How does the photo essay move you? How are you moved to action?

Powerful photo essay by @marcusbleasdale: Children exposed to poisons in US tobacco fields http://t.co/PuDLMeJPo3 pic.twitter.com/GGlhPf5vrq
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) May 14, 2014

MADE IN THE USA: Child Labor & Tobacco

Child labor is common on tobacco farms in the United States, where children are exposed to nicotine, toxic pesticides, and other dangers. Child tobacco workers often get sick with vomiting, nausea, headaches, and dizziness while working, all symptoms consistent with acute nicotine poisoning. Many work 50 to 60 hours a week without overtime pay, often in extreme heat. They may be exposed to pesticides that are known neurotoxins. Many also use dangerous tools and machinery, lift heavy loads, and climb to perilous heights to hang tobacco for drying. The largest tobacco companies in the world purchase tobacco grown in the US to make popular cigarette brands like Marlboro, Newport, Camel, Pall Mall and others. These companies can’t legally sell cigarettes to children, but they are profiting from child labor. US law also fails these children, by allowing them to work at much younger ages, for longer hours, and under more hazardous conditions than children working in all other sectors. Children as young as 12 can work legally on tobacco farms and at even younger ages on small farms.