{"id":3424,"date":"2015-08-05T21:00:04","date_gmt":"2015-08-05T21:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=3424"},"modified":"2015-08-05T21:00:04","modified_gmt":"2015-08-05T21:00:04","slug":"boston-mayor-proposes-ban-on-chewing-tobacco-at-fenway-park-other-ballfields","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=3424","title":{"rendered":"Boston mayor proposes ban on chewing tobacco at Fenway Park, other ballfields"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Fenway_from_Legend's_Box\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Well, right on the heels of my story about the New York Times writing about San Francisco’s ban on ballpark chewing tobacco, the major of Boston, Martin Walsh, is now proposing a similar ban on chewing tobacco<\/a> at Boston parks and ballfields, which include Fenway Park.<\/p>\n

Walsh said he is proposing an ordinance banning smokeless tobacco beginning April 1, 2016, in time for next season (San Francisco’s ban is taking effect Jan. 1, 2016.)<\/p>\n

There’s been a big push to ban chewing tobacco on baseball fields since the death last year of Tony Gwynn. Gwynn, a longtime chewer, died of salivary gland cancer in his early 50s. Boston pitcher Curt Schilling also had a very public battle last year with a serious bout of oral cancer. Schilling, likewise, used to chew tobacco.<\/p>\n

From the Boston Globe article:<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times, young people will copy what their sports heroes do, and clearly there is a connection between chewing tobacco and cancer,\u201d Walsh said in an interview. \u201cThis sends a strong message throughout Boston, and hopefully many other towns around Boston, and across the country.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Chewing tobacco is deeply, deeply ingrained in the culture of baseball for some mystifying reason. According to the Globe, 21 out of 58\u00a0Red Sox players surveyed at Spring Training said they use smokeless tobacco. That’s pretty close in line with a survey of professional baseball trainers, who estimate that about one-third of ballplayers chew. Meanwhile, only 6 percent of adult males among the general population chew.<\/p>\n

\"chew-tweet\"<\/a><\/p>\n

According to the Globe, Red Sox owner John Henry supports Walsh’s idea.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, Schilling, an openly conservative Republican, also supports Walsh’s idea. From the Globe:<\/p>\n

Schilling, who is expected to attend the mayor\u2019s announcement at Joe Moakley Park, said he supports the prohibition on chewing tobacco.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have seen cancer take the lives of people very important to me like my father, a lifelong smoker, and I have endured the insufferable agony of radiation to the head and neck,\u201d Schilling said in a statement. \u201cIf this law stops just one child from starting, it\u2019s worth the price.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Boston Globe also added an opinion piece, written by Dr. Howard K. Koh and Dr. Alan C. Woodward, in favour of the ban. \u00a0Koh and Woodward point out that not only did Tony Gwynn die likely as a result of his chewing, but Babe Ruth, who chewed and smoked cigars, died in his early 50s from throat cancer.<\/p>\n

From this opinion piece:<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite this progress, the national rate of smokeless tobacco use in high school has stayed disturbingly steady. In the US, nearly 15 percent of high school boys currently use smokeless tobacco. More than half a million youth try smokeless tobacco for the first time. Smokeless tobacco companies annually spend $435 million on marketing. A key message of such advertising is that boys can\u2019t be real men unless they chew. Also, scores of Major League Baseball players who chew or dip in front of fans provide invaluable free advertising for the industry. Impressionable kids stand ready to imitate their every move.<\/p>\n

For too long, the tobacco industry has normalized and glamorized products that cause drug dependence, disability, and death. Leveraging the prestige and appeal of baseball has been an essential part of that strategy. It\u2019s time for baseball to start a new chapter that reclaims tobacco-free parks as the new norm \u2014 and for Boston, home to so many sports achievements, to lead the way.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ultimately, in order to really drive tobacco out of Major League baseball, it would take the cooperation and agreement of the Players’ Association. Chew is already banned on the field in Minor League and NCAA baseball. However, the Players’ Association has opposed banning it at the Major League level. The issue is expected to be negotiated during the players’ next collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, right on the heels of my story about the New York Times writing about San Francisco’s ban on ballpark chewing tobacco, the major of Boston, Martin Walsh, is now proposing a similar ban on chewing tobacco at Boston parks and ballfields, which include Fenway Park. Walsh said he is proposing an ordinance banning smokeless … Continue reading Boston mayor proposes ban on chewing tobacco at Fenway Park, other ballfields<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[263,14,326,53,457,316],"tags":[99,272,108],"class_list":["post-3424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chew-in-baseball","category-chewing-tobacco","category-curt-schilling","category-red-sox","category-san-francisco","category-tony-gwynn","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-chew-in-baseball-2","tag-chewing-tobacco-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Fenway_from_Legends_Box.jpg?fit=1600%2C1063&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4hpEa-Te","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2399,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=2399","url_meta":{"origin":3424,"position":0},"title":"Boston Herald columnist calls for banning chewing tobacco in baseball","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"August 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Boston Herald columnist Michael Silverman wrote a powerful column this week that it's time for Major League Baseball to ban chewing tobacco. This is hitting home in Boston right now because former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, who helped the Sox win two World Series, recently revealed that he is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Chew in baseball"","block_context":{"text":"Chew in baseball","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=263"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/schilling777887.r.jpg?fit=460%2C385&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3476,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=3476","url_meta":{"origin":3424,"position":1},"title":"Boston bans chewing tobacco in Fenway Park — MLB Players’ Association, your move","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"September 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Boston has joined San Francisco in banning chewing tobacco in all ballparks, including Major League Ballparks like Fenway. The move is, I believe, part of a push to force the Major League Baseball Players' Association to accept a league-wide ban on chewing tobacco. Chewing tobacco is already banned by the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Boston Red Sox"","block_context":{"text":"Boston Red Sox","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=706"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/3599784525_8951cb70ec_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/3599784525_8951cb70ec_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/3599784525_8951cb70ec_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/3599784525_8951cb70ec_b.jpg?fit=1024%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2315,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=2315","url_meta":{"origin":3424,"position":2},"title":"ESPN, Chicago Sun-Times call for MLB ban on chewing tobacco in wake of Tony Gwynn’s death","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"June 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Jim Caple, writer for ESPN and the Chicago Sun-Times both published editorials this week calling for baseball to ban chew in the wake of Tony Gwynn's death from cancer. Gwynn, a lifelong chewer, died this week of salivary\u00a0gland cancer (which originated in the cheek in which he always chewed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "baseball"","block_context":{"text":"baseball","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Tony-Gwynn.jpg?fit=1200%2C735&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Tony-Gwynn.jpg?fit=1200%2C735&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Tony-Gwynn.jpg?fit=1200%2C735&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Tony-Gwynn.jpg?fit=1200%2C735&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Tony-Gwynn.jpg?fit=1200%2C735&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3983,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=3983","url_meta":{"origin":3424,"position":3},"title":"MLB, union agree to phase in ban on chewing tobacco","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"December 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"As expected, Major League Baseball and the Player's Association agreed to a ban on chewing tobacco in baseball, though it's a bit of a wishy-washy ban because it only applies to incoming players. Basically, they're going to phase it in. This means expect to see chew around on the baseball\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Chew in baseball"","block_context":{"text":"Chew in baseball","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=263"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/GetFile.aspx_.jpg?fit=600%2C462&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/GetFile.aspx_.jpg?fit=600%2C462&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/GetFile.aspx_.jpg?fit=600%2C462&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3188,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=3188","url_meta":{"origin":3424,"position":4},"title":"San Francisco votes to ban chew at all ballparks, including AT&T Park","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"April 24, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted this week to ban chewing tobacco at all ballparks, including the Giants' home, AT&T Park. The ordinance, which passed by a unanimous vote, will take a second vote next week, and it sounds like a bit of a formality. The ordinance would not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Chew in baseball"","block_context":{"text":"Chew in baseball","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=263"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/AtT.jpg?fit=1200%2C744&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/AtT.jpg?fit=1200%2C744&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/AtT.jpg?fit=1200%2C744&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/AtT.jpg?fit=1200%2C744&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/AtT.jpg?fit=1200%2C744&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3231,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=3231","url_meta":{"origin":3424,"position":5},"title":"Madison Bumgarner, Bruce Bochy both support ban on chewing tobacco at AT&T Park","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"May 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Surprised me a bit that these two would step into this issue, but I thought it was great. The city of San Francisco banned chewing tobacco recently at all sporting venues (It won't actually take effect until Jan. 1, 2016), including at the Giants' stadium, AT&T Park. This means that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Chew in baseball"","block_context":{"text":"Chew in baseball","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=263"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Bumgarner-Bochy.jpg?fit=1200%2C454&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Bumgarner-Bochy.jpg?fit=1200%2C454&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Bumgarner-Bochy.jpg?fit=1200%2C454&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Bumgarner-Bochy.jpg?fit=1200%2C454&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Bumgarner-Bochy.jpg?fit=1200%2C454&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3424"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3428,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3424\/revisions\/3428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}