News

Tobacco Free Baseball

March 28, 2011
Allen H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
Major League Baseball
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
Michael Weiner, Executive Director
Major League Baseball Players Association
12 East 49th Street, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Dear Commissioner Selig and Mr. Weiner:
As public health officials charged with protecting the well-being of millions of Americans, we are writing
to urge Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to prohibit the use of
tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco, by players, coaches, managers and other personnel at
all Major League Baseball games.
It is urgent for the league and the players union to address this issue now, as contract negotiations for
the 2012 collective bargaining agreement are underway. Progress cannot wait. The use of smokeless
tobacco endangers the health of Major League ballplayers and sets a terrible example for the millions of
young people who watch baseball at the ballparks and on TV.
Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than
400,000 people each year. As cigarette smoking has declined, the tobacco industry has increased its
marketing of smokeless products and is spending record sums to promote them. But smokeless tobacco
use is itself very dangerous, causing serious diseases of the mouth, including oral cancer. In addition,
there is reason to worry that smokeless tobacco use by young persons may serve as a gateway to
cigarette smoking, this nation's leading preventable cause of premature death and disease.
As officials in Major League cities around the country, we know that baseball is important to civic life
and that ballplayers are local heroes. They should provide positive role models and not associate
themselves with a product that causes disease and death.
As you know, the use of smokeless tobacco in Major League Baseball recently has drawn scrutiny from
Congress and the media. The widespread, on-camera use of smokeless tobacco during the 2010 postseason
generated significant public attention. Several media stories have examined the difficulty players
and coaches have in breaking their addiction. Among those who have spoken of their struggle are Josh
Hamilton, Stephen Strasburg and Giants manager Bruce Bochy. Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn's recent
cancer diagnosis and his public comments attributing his disease to years of chewing tobacco have
drawn attention to this serious health threat as never before.
The minor leagues, the NCAA and the National Hockey League have already instituted prohibitions on
tobacco use. Major League Baseball is lagging on this.
Meanwhile, smokeless tobacco use among high school boys is spiking
increase since 2003.
We know that young fans and youth players look up to big leaguers. Strasburg, in speaking with the
Washington Post about his difficulty in breaking his addiction, connected his own tobacco use with his
efforts as a youth to imitate his idols.
Ten major public health groups already have formally asked you to agree on a prohibition on smokeless
tobacco use at all Major League venues. We are proud to join these groups, which
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Academy of Pediatrics, America
Dental Association, American Heart Association, Legacy, American Lung Association, American Medical
Association, Oral Health America and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
We ask you to seize this moment to protect players and
stop creating images that associate tobacco use with masculinity and athleticism
associated with disease and death.
Sincerely,
Oxiris Barbot, MD
Commissioner
Baltimore City Health Department
Barbara
Executive Director
Boston Public Health Commission
Mohammad N. Akhter, MD
District of Columbia Department
of Health
Stephen
Director
Houston Department of Health and
Human Services
Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH
Director and Health Officer
Los Angeles County Department of
Public Health
Bevan K.
Commissioner of Health
City of
Dep
Thomas A. Farley, MD, MPH
Commissioner, New York City
Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene
Anita
Director
Alameda County Public Health
Department
spiking -- there's been a 36 percent
includ
American Cancer Society, American
Foundation.
the kids who look up to them. Baseball must
athleticism -- when in fact it is
Ferrer, PhD, MPH
Bechara Choucair, MD
Commissioner
Chicago Dept. of Public Health
L. Williams
Rex Archer, MD, MPH
Director of Health
City of Kansas City, MO Health
Department
Baker
Milwaukee Health
Department
Gretchen Musicant
Commissioner
Minneapolis Department of Health and
Family Support
Siegel, RN, MPH
Department, Oakland, CA
Donald F. Schwarz, MD, MPH
Deputy Mayor Health & Opportunity
Health Commissioner
City of Philadelphia
include the
n
Bob England, MD
Director
Maricopa County Department of
Public Health, Phoenix, AZ
Bruce W. Dixon, MD
Director
Allegheny County Health Department
Pittsburgh, PA
David Fleming, MD
Director and Health Officer, Public
Health-Seattle & King County

Study: Secondhand smoke linked to lower birth weight and still birth

Mums who smoke during pregnancy increase child's smoking risk

A new study by researchers from the University of Helsinki suggests that prenatal exposure to nicotine may increase the risk of smoking in later life.

The findings, published in the European Journal of Pharmacology, suggests that adolescents with prenatal exposure to nicotine are more likely to start smoking earlier than their peers born to non smoking mothers.

Source: GP Online, 21 March 2011

Most Parents Support Testing Children For Tobacco Smoke Exposure

A Study in the April 2011 issue of the American journal Pediatrics, assessed whether testing children for tobacco smoke as part of a child's primary care visit is acceptable to parents.
Of 477 parents surveyed, 60 percent think children should be tested for tobacco smoke exposure during pediatric visits. Among parents who smoked, 62 percent agree with testing children during a child's doctor visit.
Positive test results may help non-smokers advocate for safer environments for their children. Parental smokers may be curious to know whether their efforts to prevent tobacco exposure
are working.

Such testing, if it were made available, could help promote smoke-free homes and cars, and encourage family members to quit smoking. It might also lead to more rapid adoption of smoke-free multi-unit housing nationwide.

Source: Medical News Today, 22 March 2011