Poisoning kids: Tobacco-pickers in Malawi exposed to huge amounts of nicotine, paid little

A child ties together tobacco leaves on a farm in the Kasungu district In Malawi. (AP)

WHO: At least 78,000 Malawi children, some young as 5

WHAT: Kids picking tobacco in the fields of Malawi absorb up to two cigarette packs’ worth of nicotine each day. More than 78,000 children work on tobacco estates for up to 12 hours a day for less than 1.7 cents an hour with no protection.

SYMPTOMS: “Green tobacco sickness” comes from moist, pesticide-laden tobacco leaves’ contact with skin. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, vomiting blood and long-lasting changes in brain structure and function.

WHY IT’S HAPPENING: Malawians are so poor that many families send their children to work in the fields. Tobacco generates one-third of Malawi’s gross domestic product. More than 80 percent of Malawians are directly or indirectly employed by the tobacco industry.