San Francisco: No More Chewing Tobacco in our Sporting Venues

Chewing tobacco has been banned from San Francisco's Sports Stadiums, including its AT&T Park, the home to the San Francisco Giants.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee signed the tobacco bill last Friday that will ban the use of all forms of smokeless or chewing tobacco products from all of its sporting venues.

"Today, San Francisco entered the history books as the first city to take tobacco out of baseball. The home of the World Champion Giants has set an example that all of Major League Baseball and the rest of the country should quickly follow," said Matthew Myers, president for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids via Belfast Telegraph.

The law will be effective from January 1, 2016 and is part of the Washington-based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids' efforts to promote anti-smoking especially in baseball, where its players are well-known for chewing and spitting tobacco in full view of children.

The Giants' Manager Bruce Bochy, who is a known user of chewing tobacco but has quit, expressed his approval for the ordinance. "It's a step in the right direction," he said in a report by CBS San Francisco. "It's a tough deal for some of these players who have grown up playing with it and there are so many triggers in the game.

"I certainly don't endorse it. With my two sons, the one thing I asked them is don't ever start dipping."

Bochy also added that it may be difficult for other players, "It's a tough deal for some of these players who have grown up playing with it and there are so many triggers in the game."

Since June 15, 1993, the use of chewing or smokeless tobacco has been banned from the minor leagues. Unfortunately, Major League Baseball can't ban it without the cooperation and approval from the Major League Baseball Players Association because it is unionized. San Francisco CBS reported that under the labor contract, managers, coaches, and players cannot chew or carry tobacco while wearing their uniforms during the games in the ballpark.

An even more expansive bill that prohibits the use of all forms of tobacco, including e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco during California baseball games is currently making its way through the state Assembly, the UK Daily Mail reports.

According to the American Cancer Society, the use of smokeless tobacco can cause esophagus, mouth, tongue, cheek, gum, throat, stomach or pancreatic cancer. It may possibly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Other harmful health effects include gum disease, cavities, tooth decay, bad breath, and tooth loss.