MLB pushing to rid of Smokeless Tobacco in Baseball

Tobacco-Free SC
Jul 24, 2017 · 4 min read

Major League Baseball took in huge step in April by way of New York City’s ban of smokeless tobacco at any New York City sporting event, eliminating smokeless tobacco from two of the most popular teams across the country: the Yankees and Mets. The MLB supported the ban meaning that even the players themselves could be issued a fine for using smokeless tobacco products, while the ball parks will have signs put up for fans at the games as well. While this ban is a big step, some fear that the ban won’t do much, since there are now 12 stadiums, including Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, that have similar rules. However, according to The New York Times, Major League Baseball has been doing their own monitoring of these rules and claimed they have acted on any players they find perceived to have violated any local laws. The first time offenders receive a written warning and a referral to a doctor acting as a consultant to help players stop using smokeless tobacco. A second time offense then leads to fine by the local law. The MLB has said fines have been handed out, but would not say how many or for how much money.

Example of one of the signs at a tobacco free ballpark. Photo: ABCnews.go.com

“The bigger goal is about ending the influence on young people,” said Rick Coca, a spokesman for Jose Huizar, the Los Angeles city councilman who introduced the smokeless tobacco bill back in 2014. These laws are an effort by the MLB to eliminate smokeless tobacco use in the next generation of Major League Baseball.

In 2014, the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society released a study estimating that almost one-third of players use smokeless tobacco. Although recent observations say that the number of players using smokeless tobacco may have decreased. According to The New York Times, at least four players from one team’s dugout at Citi Field had smokeless tobacco containers, while other teams haven't had any, which demonstrates progress of eliminating smokeless tobacco from being a staple to professional baseball.

Smokeless Tobacco has been a staple for professional players for many years. Photo: Newsmax.com

While these bills are widely viewed as positive changes to the game, some players believe that it is an invasion of their privacy. Even some of the players who do not use smokeless tobacco are critical of the laws. Curtis Granderson, outfielder for the New York Mets and one of the chairmen for the MLB players union, is one of the non-users who criticize the new bill against smokeless tobacco. In a New York Times article, Granderson said “There still isn’t 100 percent clarity in terms of who will be enforcing it, Citi Field law enforcement? Is it going to be New York City Police? Is it going to be Major League Baseball? If they see a player using smokeless tobacco, will they slap them with a ticket at that time?” Granderson brings up plenty of good questions, as this law is brand new, it’s up to the higher up officials to dictate who will obtain the position of power and enforcement. While this new law is growing, the enforcement of the law varies from city to city, some by police, some by health officials but the league needs to work on one consistent enforcer.

Mets Outfielder Curtis Granderson. Photo: Huffington Post

Even though this rule is making its way up to Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball has been enforcing this rule since 1993. This season, under the sport’s collective bargaining agreement, all rookies called up to the Majors this season are not allowed to use smokeless tobacco at any ballpark across the league, regardless of whether or not there is a ban locally.

The MLB also offers cessation programs for players who wish to quit using smokeless tobacco products. Dr. Michael B. Steinberg, director Rutgers Universities tobacco dependency program, is a consultant and the doctor that first time offenders are given a written referral to see.

Other methods of quitting are using substitutes such as coffee grind pouches, which right now are being widely marketed towards MLB and other baseball players who use smokeless tobacco to help end smokeless tobacco in the sport.

Coffee Grinds are now being sold in similar containers as smokeless tobacco and marketed to players who want to quit using smokeless tobacco. Photo: Grinds Coffee Pouches

Many league officials believe that once the current generation moves out of the league, the next wave of stars will have a lower rate of smokeless tobacco use in hopes that every ballpark will enforce this law in the next couple of years. Some even believe that smokeless tobacco will find its way out sooner than that. Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in The New York Times “By 2019, at the latest, it will be a very rare sight to see any player using smokeless tobacco. It will be gone from the game essentially by then.” Many of people have high hopes for this bill, now the league has to get every ball park on board.

Sources

New York Times

Huffington Post

Grinds Coffee Pouches

Newsmax.com

ABC News

Jared DePiro

Tobacco-Free SC

Written by

The S.C. Tobacco-Free Collaborative is a statewide assembly of organizations committed to eliminating the toll of tobacco use in SC.

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