THE anti-smoking group HealthJustice Philippines yesterday warned tobacco farmers and workers against continued exposure to tobacco leaves, saying they risk contracting Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS).
In a statement for the forthcoming World No Tobacco Day, HealthJustice Board Member Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan said they are concerned over the persistent health risks faced by tobacco workers.
“Tobacco farmers who plant, cultivate, and harvest tobacco leaves may absorb nicotine levels equivalent to 50 cigarettes in a single day,” said Tan.
“GTS is a form of nicotine poisoning from directly handling tobacco leaves,” added the former Department of Health secretary.
He said GTS symptoms may manifest after several hours from exposure to tobacco plants, such as nausea and vomiting.
Tan said this makes workers more vulnerable to dehydration and heat illnesses such as from heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke since they are working under hot and humid conditions.
“Although GTS symptoms fade within 24 hours, uncertainty looms as no study had currently been done to uncover its long-term effects on tobacco plantation farmers or workers,” he said.
“These health harms from the production of tobacco seriously put at stake the health and welfare of tobacco farmers, their families, and communities,” added Tan.
Because of this, the non-government organization urged the government to reverse its policy of allowing and supporting tobacco production.
Instead, HealthJustice pushed for the shift from tobacco farming to food crop production in order to protect the health of farmers.
“The serious and persistent hunger in the country should compel the Philippine government to reconsider its development program for tobacco production,” it said.
“It should prioritize food production instead of tobacco, a commodity product known for its economic, social, human, and environmental harms,” HealthJustice added.
