Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS) is a disease commonly found in the worker. Tobacco farmers often experience this disease. GTS is characterized by the main symptoms of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, excessive sweating and occurs on contact with wet tobacco.
Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS) is an acute nicotine poisoning that occurs through absorption through the skin. GTS occurs in the population of tobacco workers or farmers, especially during tobacco cultivation and harvesting. GTS happens when farmers come into direct contact with wet tobacco. Several previous studies have stated that GTS is characterized by the main symptoms of dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache and excessive salivation sometimes accompanied by decreased consciousness. The risk of nicotine poisoning increases when mixed with wet conditions due to rain, dew or sweat
Recent research states that the risk factors affecting GTS cases in tobacco farmers are working period OR = 2,944, smoking status OR = 18,083, complaints of dermatosis OR = 3,876 and nutritional status which was assessed by BMI OR = 2.643. Farmers with a service life of ≥ 18 years had a risk of 2,944 times the occurrence of GTS compared to farmers with a service life of
The long working period means that the accumulated hazard exposure is getting bigger. Tobacco farmers with a term of ≥ 15 years are at 2,944 times the risk of experiencing GTS compared to farmers with a term of
Moreover, farmers with working hours
Based on nutritional status, farmers with low nutritional quality had a 2.643 times risk of experiencing GTS compared to farmers with good or normal nutrition. Farmers with good nutritional status will have vigorous self-defence against physical work activities and high work productivity.
Farmers with low individual hygiene were at risk of experiencing GTS 2.289 times compared to farmers with good individual hygiene. The bad habit of using personal protection has a chance of 1,142 times the risk of GTS compared to those who usually use personal protection. The use of personal safety on tobacco farmers in addition to preventing the risk of GTS also protects from contact with pesticides
Farmers who complain of dermatosis, have a 3,876 times risk of developing GTS compared to farmers who do not complain of dermatosis. The same is true of tobacco farmers in North Carolina. Farmers who reported subjective complaints of rashes were more at risk of experiencing GTS with an OR of 3.3. The nicotine in tobacco leaves is more comfortable to enter through the skin. On skin that has rashes, wounds, nicotine will be more easily absorbed.
Farmworkers are at risk of experiencing GTS by 1,171 times compared to landowners and farmers. Farmworkers work in almost all stages of the upstream tobacco industry so that contact with tobacco is greater than that of landowners.
High workload has the risk of experiencing GTS by 1.439 times compared to low workload. High workload indicates the type of activity carried out varies and with recurring frequency. Hoang Van Minh expressed the same thing that farmers who cultivated tobacco 3.5 times had health problems compared to those who did not grow tobacco.
We integrated promotive and preventive actions from both farm owners and first-level health service providers in the form of providing self-protection to reduce direct contact with wet tobacco, healthy living habits without smoking and maintaining normal nutritional status.
Link:
INDIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND TOXICOLOGY
Risk Factors of Green Tobacco Sickness on Tobacco Farmers
in Jember Indonesia
Author: Tri Martiana, Santi Martini, Anita DPS
http://www.ijfmt.com/scripts/IJFMT_July-Sept.%202020_%20Final.pdf
