In most cases, there is nothing illegal about the practice. State and federal child labor laws carve out exemptions for agricultural work, allowing children of any age to work on small farms. Children 12 and older can work unlimited hours outside of school at any farm with a parent’s permission. At 14, children can do farm work without a parent’s permission.
But a new report by New York-based Human Rights Watch highlights hazards facing children laboring in tobacco fields.
“I’ve gotten sick,” a 9-year-old identified in the report only as “Patrick W.” told researchers about his work at a Macon County farm. “We started cutting [tobacco plants], and I had to go home. I kept on coughing (heaving), and I had to eat crackers and drink some Gatorade. … I threw up a little bit. It took two or three hours before I felt better.”
[via - tennessean.com]