Professional Baseball Considering Ban On Smokeless Tobacco

October 18, 2011
With the St. Louis Cardinals competing in this year’s World Series of Major League Baseball (MLB), city health officials are urging players and their union to consider abstaining from using smokeless tobacco on the field and in front of cameras. According to The Associated Press and Channel 5 News, four United States Senators are backing the plea, as well as calling for a permanent ban on the product’s use during games.
The lawmakers and health officials from the host cities of St. Louis and Arlington, Texas, all sent separate letters to the MLB player’s union leader, Michael Weiner, on  Tuesday. Those letters claimed that when players use tobacco on the field, they are not only putting their own health at risk, but they are putting the health of children who watch them at risk because their celebrity status makes them a heavy influence on a child’s mind. They asked that players abstain from using smokeless tobacco during the series and on camera.
No response has been received from the players union.
Smokeless tobacco has long been linked to health risks, such as mouth, and throat cancers. More common concerns coming from the products use though is gum recession, hypertension, heart disease, and oral sores.
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