Bills are proposed in the California Legislature as well as in San Francisco that would ban all tobacco from baseball diamonds. The image of a pitcher squirting out a mouthful of brown sludge into the dirt is ubiquitous in American baseball. The national pastime and smokeless tobacco are so closely tied that an iconic chewing gum marketed towards children, Big League Chew, mimics a pouch of chaw — also called dip or chew — and features a cartoon baseball character on the packaging. But pieces of legislature at the state and local levels in California would force players to leave their habits in the locker room. Today, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hear the introduction of a bill that would ban tobacco wherever organized sports are played. This goes from weekend recreational leagues in Golden Gate Park to AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Supervisor Mark Farrell, a former smokeless tobacco user and baseball player, told reporters last week the measure was specifically aimed at America’s pastime. “This will have positive health benefits for our city and for our youth for years to come,” Farrell told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s time for the city to step up to the plate and ban smokeless tobacco.” A similar bill was proposed last week in the state capital. This ban would include the use of smokeless tobacco, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes by players, coaches, managers, and fans.

Tobacco in the Major Leagues Players smoking tobacco is already banned by Major League Baseball. Smoking for fans, however, varies. Some stadiums allow smoking in designated outdoor areas while others already have smoking bans that follow state anti-smoking bans. The smoking prohibitions in public areas like baseball parks were enacted after decades of scientific evidence showed the dangers of second-hand smoke. While smokeless tobacco may not have direct secondary effects, anti-smoking advocates say it can harm children watching in the stands. Matthew Myers, president of Tobacco-Free Kids, a nonprofit organization that advocates stronger restrictions on tobacco, told KQED he believes smokeless tobacco use by players goes beyond a personal choice issue. “This is vitally important. For too long, we’ve witnessed major league baseball players not only endanger their own health, but we’re particularly interested because their use endangers the health of millions of kids because young fans idolize baseball players,” he said.