Tobacco Group Adopts Child Labor Protections

The Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina recently announced a new policy in regards to limiting child labor. The Association asserts that "children under 16 should not be hired to work on tobacco farms, even with parental permission." This differs from the current United States labor legislation that accepts children to work on tobacco farms at the age 12 with parental permission. Earlier this year a report was released that proved hazardous conditions of child labor on tobacco farms in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The report depicted cases of working children suffering from symptoms of nicotine poisoning and found incidences of overwork in poor conditions like "extreme heat without shade or sufficient breaks, and no...protective gear." US law also deems it acceptable to have 16-year-olds doing hazardous work (like that which involves direct contact with tobacco) whilst on tobacco farms. This improvement in governmental policy is a reflective of Articles 23 and 24 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The included rights are "the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment" and "reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay."

Sources
Tobacco Group Adopts Child Labor Protections
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights