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yellowdogintexas

(23,763 posts)

4. I grew up in a tobacco growing region in KY

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Original post)

Mon Apr 17, 2023, 04:10 PM

Apr 2023

Most of the farm workers were young - most began working in the field about age 10. Tobacco is very labor intensive and the pesticides are horrible. Nowadays, there just aren't as many young folks to work the patch; my brother in law hires Mexicans to do a lot of the work on their farm.

a friend went out to work the patch early one morning wearing a short sleeved shirt.(usually he wore a light cotton longsleeved shirt) The patch had been sprayed the day before, and with our famous heavy dew, he was soaked in moisture from the leaves. By 10 am he was sick as a dog.

This is in addition to any nicotine poisoning.

Ironically, he was going into his 3rd year of Medical School and as he put it "I don't know what I was thinking - I should have known better"

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Highlight:

12-year-olds can't buy cigarettes -- but they can work in tobacco fields [View all] Jilly_in_VA Apr 2023 OP

Nicotine poisoning Jilly_in_VA Apr 2023 #1

and "get married" in some states. Total insanity. lindysalsagal Apr 2023 #2

Addressing concerns - republicans pass legislation legalizing cigarette purchases for 10 year olds. Probatim Apr 2023 #3

I grew up in a tobacco growing region in KY yellowdogintexas Apr 2023 #4