New baseball agreement restricts tobacco use

WASHINGTON — Baseball’s new labor agreement does not include the prohibition on smokeless tobacco they wanted, but its new policy still marks an important step, said Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land and other advocates of a ban.

The agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association included the following stipulations regarding smokeless tobacco:

• Players, managers and coaches may not have tobacco tins or packages in their uniforms during games or any other time spectators are in the stadium.
• They may not use tobacco during televised interviews or at appearances on behalf of their team.

Baseball and the players union agreed to establish an education and outreach campaign regarding the dangers of smokeless tobacco.

The Knock Tobacco Out of the Park Coalition said it continues to back “a complete prohibition on tobacco use at games and on camera.”

(TAB)