BOSTON August 5 Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Wednesday took on one of baseball’s oldest traditions, saying he planned to ban chewing tobacco at the century-old Fenway Park and all other sporting facilities in the city starting next year.
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Walsh wants a new ordinance that would ban the use of dip, chew, snuff and snus at all amateur and professional sports venues in the city.
Flanked by former Boston Red Sox pitcher and cancer survivor Curt Schilling, Walsh said the link between tobacco use and cancer was indisputable and ball players from the sandlot to the big leagues should set an example by giving up the habit.
“We all know the horrific and tragic stories of ballplayers who have suffered the consequences of using smokeless tobacco”, the team said in a statement.
Walsh is expected to discuss the proposal Wednesday morning.
The National Cancer Institute states that chewing tobacco and snuff contain 28 cancer-causing agents and the U.S. National Toxicology Program has established smokeless tobacco as a “known human carcinogen”.
San Francisco became the first U.S. city to outlaw chewing tobacco from its playing fields in May.
He’ll be joined by public health officials, advocates, local youth and former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling.
Walsh’s proposal would apply to everyone in a ballpark, including fans, players, ground crews and concession staff. His office says those managing sporting event sites would be responsible for assuring compliance and that signs are posted at entrances, dugouts, bullpens, training and locker rooms and press boxes.
Altria, the makers of popular smokeless tobacco products Skoal and Copenhagen, declined to comment Wednesday. Violators would be subject to a $250 fine. Walsh added he hopes the ban can go into effect early next year.
Particularly, he needs to ban use of “smokeless tobacco” merchandise, which his proposal defines as any product containing “reduce, floor, powdered, or leaf tobacco and is meant to be positioned within the oral or nasal cavity”.
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Los Angeles is considering a similar ban, but it is focused exclusively on baseball and does not affect other sports.
