Human Rights Watch (HRW) has uncovered thousands of children in Indonesia who are being exposed to nicotine, toxic chemicals and extreme heat when they are working in the country's tobacco fields. According to the nation's labor laws, children under the age of 18 cannot work in hazardous occupations and conditions. Despite the law, children working in the tobacco fields are currently at risk for cancer, respiratory issues, and nicotine poisoning. Indonesia is currently the 5th largest tobacco producer in the world and approximately 1.5 million are employed in the country's agriculture sector. HRW is calling upon tobacco companies to stamp their merchandise signaling their use of child labor and hopes to pressure the Indonesian government into increasing the enforcement of the country's labor laws.
See "Indonesian 8-year-olds could be picking the tobacco in your cigarettes", James Griffiths, CNN, May 25, 2016