Karen hilltribe children smoking tobacco by John Spies
In remote villages in the mountains of northern Thailand, the children in some ethnic groups including Karen Pwo, smoked rough tobacco cheroots and pipes. When schools were established in the 1980s, the practice declined. The parents, also avid smokers and betel chewers, had no idea that smoking was bad for their children’s health. Taken in the early 1980’s with a Nikon FM2, Nikkor 28mm lense and kodachrome slide film. Natural light.
Comments
Excellent capture !!!!
Yool, thanks for your positive comments on my hilltribe photos, I appreciate them all!
great shot!
Wow…incredible journalistic type image John! I love their looks of curiousity, and interesting story behind this.
Thanks Shelly, western visitors to their remote villages were an oddity back then, hence the curiousity. We could draw crowds of more than 100 villagers with mouths agape.
– John Spies
your images brought a smile to my face. I am an ex-pat Canadian living in China last 9 years and your images triggered a desire to see northern Thailand
Thanks Marc, things have changed a bit since scenes like this were common, but the north of Thailand is still a great place to visit.
– John Spies
I couldn’t help but go: Of dear! to the screen. Fantastic capture but at the same time disturbing. Sad.
It was a bit disturbing seeing children so young addicted to nicotine, but it was also hard to not record such a scene, knowing that it would soon become history.
– John Spies
Its such a great photo!!!!! I love it and at the same time i agree > disturbing :-(
appreciate and understand your comment Erin, thanks
– John Spies
magnificent shot! and very interesting story!
was the kid posing for you like this?
No he wasn’t. Western visitors were a novelty back then and we would attract crowds of curious villagers. Most of the kids were smoking and if I pointed my camera at them they were very natural and unassuming, and would just carry on doing whatever they were doing.
– John Spies
great image and interesting info.
Thanks Gili, it is one of my favourites
– John Spies
Your images are very thought provoking, and some sad like this one too. One has to wonder where they picked up the habit of smoking?
Thanks for your interest Mary. I have heard that Portugese traders brought tobacco from Sth America to SE Asia more than 500 years ago. In archaeological sites where i live are tobacco pipes 5-700 years old (see image Angels pipe). I think the habit spread extremely quickly, and back in those days children in Europe smoked as well…the hilltribes just took a little longer to catch up on the smoking/death connection.
– John Spies