Acute and chronic health effects due to green tobacco exposure in agricultural workers.
BACKGROUND
An epidemiological study was undertaken in Gujarat, India to study the acute and chronic health effects of occupational exposure to green tobacco.


METHODS
Non-Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco is the main crop in many districts of Central Gujarat. Three villages were selected from Anand district for the study and a random sample of 685 exposed workers were examined. Six hundred and fifty-five control workers with the same socio-economic status were examined from two villages where tobacco was not cultivated.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of green tobacco sickness (GTS) was 47.0% among tobacco workers. The prevalence in women workers was 55.7% while in men workers it was 42.66%. To detect the chronic health effects prevalence of hypertension, electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities, and eye problems in all the workers and reproductive abnormalities in women workers, all subjects received a medical examination. The data were compared in exposed and control group but they were non-significant statistically. No case of tobacco amblyopia was detected.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of GTS among non-FCV tobacco workers is high. However, from viewpoint of severity it can be considered as mild acute nicotine toxicity, which is relieved without medication. No significant difference is observed as regards to chronic health effects among tobacco workers and control workers.
Parikh
J R
JR
National Institute of Occupational Health, Meghani Nagar, Ahmedabad-380 016, Gujarat, India. jrparikh@nioh.org
Gokani
V N
VN
Doctor
P B
PB
Kulkarni
P K
PK
Shah
A R
AR
Saiyed
H N
HN
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000383:Agriculture; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004562:Electrocardiography; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000633:toxicity*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D015995:Prevalence; D012923:Social Class; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000633:toxicity*; D000078329:Workforce
D009538:Nicotine