BAT 2611.50p About us Our products How we work Sustainability Investors Media Reporting Careers Green tobacco sickness Education is key Green tobacco sickness (GTS) is a type of nicotine poisoning caused when nicotine is absorbed through the skin from wet tobacco leaves. It’s a real risk to farmers and their workers if they harvest tobacco when it’s wet. Reported symptoms of GTS include nausea, vomiting, weakness, dizziness, abdominal cramps, excessive sweating, headache, and sometimes fluctuations in blood pressure or heart rate. These tend to be short-lived and vary in intensity and persistence according to each individual and degree of exposure. Similar symptoms can appear in cases of heat stress and also in the unlikely event of exposure to Crop Protection Agents, sometimes making it difficult for doctors to diagnose GTS. Although scientific research on the subject is limited and published evidence indicates the incidence to be low, we recognise GTS can be an occupational health risk for some tobacco workers who handle wet tobacco leaves. Minimising the risk of GTS There are a number of steps we recommend tobacco workers take to reduce the risk of contracting GTS. These include: Avoiding handling wet tobacco by waiting for the rain (or dew) to dry from the leaf. Quickly changing out of wet clothes saturated with moisture originating from green tobacco leaves. Wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to avoid direct skin contact with tobacco during harvesting. We recommend clothing such as gloves, trousers and shirts / aprons made from impermeable cloth, although in hot weather this can increase the risk of heat stress. The success of this measure largely depends on the farmers’ willingness to use PPE. Anyone who shows symptoms of GTS should stop handling the tobacco, rinse any skin that has been in direct or indirect contact with wet tobacco, change their clothes and seek medical advice. They should visit their healthcare providers for diagnosis and treatment. Current practice Our business is actively working to improve its understanding of GTS. We believe that education is key and that tobacco workers should be given practical guidance to better understand and avoid the risks of contracting the illness. Education programmes include information about risk factors, preventative measures, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. New programme drives industry-wide supplier standards Sustainable Tobacco Programme Front and centre of everything we do Our strategic approach to sustainability ESG Report 2020 Download our Environmental, Social, and Governance Report 2020 How we work Corporate behaviour Regulation Illegal tobacco trade Sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihoods Sustainable Tobacco Programme Enhancing livelihoods Focused support for farming communities Green tobacco sickness Soil conservation and improvement Preserving natural forests Independent research Human rights and modern slavery Environment and climate change Supply chain management Home How we work Sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihoods Focused support for farming communities Green tobacco sickness Follow us Latest tweets BAT @BATplc Check out our Quarterly Science Updates to find out more about the #science and #innovation accelerating BAT's… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 25 Nov Earlier this month, BAT’s #digitaltransformation was recognised with a prestigious award for our Director of Digita… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 25 Nov Current UK share price 2611.50p +29.00p 25 Nov 2021 16:35 Quick Links Modern Slavery Statement Gender Pay Report Annual Report Sustainability Report Science and Technology Report Share price data Worldwide websites Standards of Business Conduct Site map Contact us BAT Globe House 4 Temple Place London WC2R 2PG +44 (0) 20 7845 1000 Accessibility Privacy Notice Cookie Notice Conditions of use Financial information We collect and store information on your device when you use this website including setting cookies. Some are essential, while others are used to enhance your experience, and to operate and improve the website. You can withdraw your consent at any time for non-strictly necessary cookies. Please choose the accept all button if you consent for us to use these non-strictly necessary cookies and the personal information they collect for the purposes described in our Cookie Notice. Accept all cookies Disable non-essential Customise settings