The impacts on the economy, health, and environment resulting from tobacco cultivation: A cross-sectional survey of tobacco farmer perspectives in Thailand.

INTRODUCTION

Tobacco cultivation is associated with financial instability, health risks, and environmental degradation. While Thailand has made progress in tobacco control, challenges remain in supporting farmers with sustainable alternatives. This study examined the perceived economic, health, and environmental impacts of tobacco cultivation among Thai tobacco farmers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2021 to January 2022 in Chiang Mai, Phrae, and Sukhothai, the major tobacco-growing provinces in Thailand. A total of 1505 tobacco farmers completed self-administered questionnaires. The instrument measured perceived impacts on a 3-point Likert scale (low to high). Frequencies and proportions for descriptive statistics are reported along with adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Economic impacts were most frequently reported (43.7%), particularly increased debt (47.6%) and income loss (43.5%). Health impacts (31.6%) included symptoms of Green Tobacco Sickness (47.2%) and reduced work capacity (29.9%). Environmental concerns (14.4%) included pesticide contamination (10.8%) and degradation of soil and water resources (10.6%). Higher economic impact was associated with cultivating Virginia tobacco (AOR=6.51; 95% CI: 4.90-8.63), higher level of education (AOR=1.39; 95% CI: 1.01-1.92), contract farming (AOR=1.27; 95% CI: 0.99-1.63), and farming experience (AOR=1.00; 95% CI: 0.99-1.01). Health impact was associated with age (AOR=1.04; 95% CI: 1.03-1.05), land rental (AOR=0.75; 95% CI: 0.58-0.98), female gender (AOR=0.74; 95% CI: 0.58-0.94), and Virginia cultivation (AOR=0.32; 95% CI: 0.23-0.44). Environmental impact was linked to labor hiring (AOR=2.68; 95% CI: 1.41-5.07) and land rental (AOR=0.56; 95% CI: 0.39-0.79).

CONCLUSIONS

Thai tobacco farmers face significant economic, health, and environmental burdens. Policy interventions should promote sustainable alternatives to mitigate these impacts.