The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: While the negative effects of tobacco use are well known, the effects of tobacco production are less well-studied. Because tobacco production requires dedicating labor, land, and other resources to a cash crop at the exclusion of growing subsistence crops, the potential exists for deleterious economic and social effects to individuals, families, and communities. This presentation summarizes current knowledge about the social effects of tobacco production and describes the research needed to better understand these effects.

Methods: Data come from a systematic search of (1) a literature file based on over a decade of research on the health effects of tobacco work, (2) searches of computerized data bases, (3) a review of new sources cited in literature uncovered through data base searches, and (4) professional contacts.

Results: Studies of the social effects of tobacco production in the United States and Canada concentrate on the impact of declining production on individual, family, and community functioning. These effects may be exacerbated by negative societal feelings toward tobacco and its producers. In developing countries, the effects of production vary by the organization of tobacco and the local cultural milieu. Impacts include displacement of food crops, requirements for child labor, and loss of income and resources by women. Vertical integration of production creates risks for small landowners who convert to tobacco production. Further research is needed on the effect of tobacco production on gender roles in developing countries and on the social well-being of communities experiencing declines in tobacco production.