Tobacco Industry Myth: Tobacco farmers are currently relatively prosperous and tobacco farming poses no significant risks that cannot be mitigated.

Research Findings:

• Comprehensive cost calculations (that include the cost of unpaid family labor) demonstrate that tobacco farming rarely generates a net gain and often leaves farmers indebted to tobacco companies.

• Tobacco farming is extremely labour intensive and, as a result:

- Child labour is frequent and leads to missed educational opportunities for children;

- Women's unpaid labor is dedicated to tobacco farming rather than producing food or independently generating income and resources for the family.

• The tobacco crop generates many unique and serious occupational health hazards, including green tobacco sickness, exposure to exceptionally high levels of toxic agrochemicals and respiratory problems from drying and storing tobacco leaf.

• Tobacco farming in LMICs causes severe environmental damage, including deforestation, land and soil degradation, pollution of waterways and a host of other ecosystem disruptions.