T. Ballard et al., GREEN TOBACCO SICKNESS - OCCUPATIONAL NICOTINE POISONING IN TOBACCO WORKERS, Archives of environmental health, 50(5), 1995, pp. 384-389
In this study the authors describe the investigation of a 1992 outbrea
k of green tobacco sickness, a form of nicotine poisoning from dermal
exposure, among 47 tobacco workers in a five-county region of central
and south-central Kentucky. Cases were identified through medical reco
rd searches at participating hospitals, as well as from reports submit
ted to the Occupational Health Nurses in Agricultural Communities prog
ram. A case-control study was undertaken to assess risk factors for gr
een tobacco sickness. In a 20-min telephone interview, 40 cases and 83
controls responded to questions contained in a questionnaire. In 1992
, 47 persons (3 were under age 16 y) in the study region sought medica
l treatment for green tobacco sickness. Twelve persons were hospitaliz
ed and 2 required intensive-care treatment. The crude incidence in 199
2 was 10.0/1 000 tobacco workers. In 1993, 66 cases (7 were under age
16 y) of green tobacco sickness were identified in the study region (i
.e., annual incidence of 14.0/1 000). A case-control study demonstrate
d that ill workers were younger, and were more likely to have worked i
n wet conditions, compared with workers who were not ill. Green tobacc
o sickness is a common problem among tobacco workers that may be preve
nted by avoiding work in wet tobacco or by use of protective clothing.
Children younger than 16 y of age represented 9% of the green tobacco
sickness cases in 1992 and 1993. Current occupational safety and heal
th laws do not address protection of tobacco workers with respect to g
reen tobacco sickness.