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Two million kids employed in India's deadly tobacco industry

About two million children below 14 years of age are engaged as labourers in the highly hazardous tobacco industry in the country, according to a draft report prepared by regional coordinator of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, or TIFR, in Bombay.

Most of these children work in bidi-manufacturing units. They spend over 14 hours every day at a stretch in contact with tobacco and usually work for about seven days in poorly ventilated rooms without taking any rest, the report reveals.

Despite the legislation prohibiting children below 14 years of age from working in the bidi industry, the practice continues unchecked and unabated in private homes all over the country.

The report further added that girls between 6 to 14 years of age and their mothers were the major workforce in the bidi rolling industry. Most of the children were engaged like bonded labourers and were living in social isolation, poor health condition and perpetual poverty.

The children, mostly girls, who roll bidi have stunted growth and suffer from respiratory diseases like tuberculosis and asthma, besides menstrual disorders.

Poor reproductive outcome was also prevalent in the women working in tobacco industries.

Pain in the joints, numbness due to immobility, eye irritation, and numbness of fingers due to their excessive use were also common among the children working in the tobacco sector.

Psychological distress and mental instability are common effects of this occupation, added the report.

According to a study conducted by a member organisation of the Action Council Against Tobacco, associated with the School of Preventive Oncology, the condition of child labourers engaged in tobacco industry in Bihar was even worse. Organisation chairman and assistant professor, department of surgery, Patna Medical College Hospital, Dhirendra Narayan Sinha, said that 61.53 per cent of such labourers have either active tuberculosis or were tuberculosis-treated.

About 20.5 per cent labourers of in tobacco industry suffer from gastrointestinal problems and bowel disorders. Almost 12.8 per cent have breathing troubles, and over 6 per cent complain of back pain.

About 11.79 per cent have some other ailments requiring vitamin and protein supplements which they cannot afford, Sinha added.

The study further revealed that the labourers were suffering from diseases for the past several years.

Among the tuberculosis affected, 5 per cent have been suffering for two years, 14 per cent for three to five years, 20 per cent for more than six years and 61 per cent for over eight years.

Sinha said that the condition of labourers engaged in tobacco sector was alarming and 93.3 per cent of the sufferers did not receive any treatment.

He said since tobacco industry, specially the bidi industry, involves prolonged sittings and contact with tobacco, certain diseases were associated with it even in non-smokers.

UNI

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