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Two Democratic senators are asking baseball commissioner Bud Selig to ban all tobacco use in the sport, specifically citing smokeless products.
Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey are suggesting that Selig push for a ban as part of the negotiations in the players' collective bargaining agreement later this year.
Major League Baseball banned tobacco use in its minor leagues in 1993, but still allows it in the big leagues. The senators say Major League Baseball "is undoubtedly complicit" in the increase its use with school-aged boys.
In a letter to Selig, Durbin and Lautenberg wrote, "We now know conclusively that smokeless tobacco endangers the health of baseball players who use it, but it also affects millions of young people who watch baseball."
"The use of smokeless tobacco by baseball players undermines the positive image of the sport and sends a dangerous message to young fans, who may be influenced by the players they look up to as role models," they wrote
The senators say they were motivated to write the letter because of an recent newspaper article written by Washington Nationals pitcher Steven Strasburg. The pitcher said his initial use chewing tobacco stemmed from a desire to emulate pro baseball players.
Referencing a National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the senators say the use of smokeless tobacco products has increased 36% among high school boys since 2003, raising its use among all boys to 15%.
"While tobacco companies spend millions on ads tailored to attract young people to use tobacco products, MLB is undoubtedly complicit in attracting many young people to try smokeless tobacco after seeing their baseball heroes chew tobacco," they wrote.
The senators sent an identical letter to Baseball Players Association Executive Director Michael Weiner.
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How about the millions of impressionable youth that watch as our "honorable" and "distinguished" senators, congressmen, and presidents womanize, use drugs, lie, cheat, steal, evade taxes, etc? Personally I'd prefer the kids use tobacco than get messed up with the stuff these so called leaders do. Our modern day Pharases stand at the ready with the first stone!
The senators should do their jobs and stop wasting time on nanny state legislation. I say the best senator is one who does nothing.
I can't wait for an oxygen tax and retina scanners on porta-potties.
I think we should stop keeping score too. That way, all the kids can grow up without feelings of inferiority. These whiny *ss soccer mom types are turning this country into a sissy paradise.
I agree, I'm raising my 15 year old grandson and the Moms of his friends are so messed up. Example: About 6 of them were at my house last June they decided to take a hike(45 acres) well one of the Moms called and wanted to talk to her son, when I told her where they were she started screaming about snakes. I told her that my grandson had been running this 45 acres since he was 6 and knew about snakes the kids would be fine. Guess what(remember they were 15 years old), that kid can't come back to my house because I put him in danger. This country is raising a bunch of wimps, no doubt about it.
Another WOTAM moment by our elected officials. But as another poster posted, how can you get any serious legislation passed with the party of NO(brains)?
Let me see if I get this straight, you mean to tell me that with all our country is going through they have nothing else better to do, are you all out of your @!$%#ing mind, another good example of why I do not vote.
I'll bet the people who are saying "get government out of our lives! let the baseball players chew their tobacco, even if it causes young kids to get addicted!", are the same people who freak out if there is a condom ad on tv, or when Janet Jackson's nipple slipped out at the super bowl. And I'm SURE they love the government telling women what they can do with their bodies, and telling gays who they can and can't marry. Yet another round of GOP hypocrisy!
Somehow I think these guys should be adressing the serious issues.
"Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey"
When will these Senators focus on something serious???
The use of ALCOHOL in front of kids at ball games is also sending the wrong message. I don't like people who drink so I say what's good for tobacco is also good for alcohol.
How many politicians/buddies of these 2 elected officials have been caught in scandals over the past few years, and they want to worry about a bad habit of a professional athlete. Sounds like a way to get the American publich what is really wrong with our elected officials. This is hypocrisy at it's best. Get back to work and quit wasting our tax dollars. DO YOUR JOB!!
What needs to be banned are these two Senators who have nothing better to do than meddle in our lives. Go take care of your own and leave us alone you worthless gasbags.
I'm one of those "lefty" Democrats that some of you refer to and I could care less about who's smoking or chewing what as I'm sure a # of other "lefties" AND "righties" don't. I think a lot of us, despite our political affiliation have a strong live and let live approach to life. I've partied w/ a lot of you and smoked , chewed, dipped and spitted w/ you. I, PERSONALLY, CHOSE, to quit those habbits for PERSONAL reasons, not b/c the govt, insurance industry, or anyone else TOLD ME TO. Tobacco is a legal substance, so far, and should be treated as such. Do you really think that these two politicians came up with this themselves? Who runs Washington? Anyone? Give you hint.....you Teabaggers are going to hate this....the LOBBIESTS. That's right, the ones who pay your way to and through your political career. Do you think tobacco would have this much attention if it wasn't for the insurance industry getting tired of having to pay for expensive long term terminal cancer treatments? It's all about money. Lipstick on a pig. Do you think they'll go after the beer, wine, and liquor industies for negatively affecting the kids? NO! After all they'll claim that b/c they held out federal funding for state highway coffers to raise the drinking age of to 21 that kids aren't encouraged to drink alcohol as much as they did. (Has anyone here been to college since 1986?). Remember seeing any binge drinking? Treat kids like kids when they should be adults and you get imature hypocrite adults telling kids what best for them. So what does this have to do w/ baseball? The lnsurance industry is trying to find another loophole to go after something else that costs them money. We that have insurance are having to pay more and more for OUR healthcare b/c there are so many that don't and WE have to foot the bill for them. That should burn anyone up. That is why I don't mind paying for my healthcare if required to b/c I already have to pay for my car insurance that allows me to drive legally on the roads that the Federal govt helps pay to build w/ the money they threatened to w/hold if my state didn't agree to treat adults like children for 3 more years. I'm sorry if you don't like spitting, teach kids that it's disgusting. My parents did.
Skiddy I agree with you 100% which is BS, they are to much alike w/ yes national equirer but you hit the nail on the head
Maybe the so-called "Senators" should mind there own business and try, just try a little to somehow run the country better than they have? Sure, let's just WASTE MILLIONS MORE TAXPAYER DOLLARS BLABBING about something very, very few; almost NONE of America cares about?
PRIVATE businesses should be entitled to make PRIVATE DECISIONS and allow their customer's complaints influence the way they run THEIR PRIVATE businesses.
NO GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL or AGENCY is in ANY position to LECTURE anyone ABOUT "MANAGING ANYTHING!"
The owners should tell "the senators" to GET LOST!
Do you people realize how much counterfeit products come into this country, you liberal F-ING @!$%# need to wake up! The enemy is outside the borders not inside!
"""Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc. said Wednesday it is suing seven Chinese online retailers, alleging they sold counterfeit versions of its top-selling cigarette brands to customers in the U.S."""
AMERICA is a WHORES market because of our GOVERNMENT, wake up U LIBERIAL ACADEMIA supporting dip@!$%#s!!!
"The use of smokeless tobacco by baseball players undermines the positive image of the sport and sends a dangerous message to young fans, who may be influenced by the players they look up to as role models," they wrote...
Yeah, much better they watch football, football players do nothing wrong. Right Michael, Ben and Ray?
Wow bedbug007! Fine language. Did your parents fail to teach you how not to spit in public as well? Do you also enjoy the benefit of all of the counterfeit drugs that spill over our borders by the tons, yearly. We're talking about CHOICE. If YOU don't CHOOSE to smoke or dip or chew, then you won't have to worry about counterfiet products will you? It's a free country unless Right Wing Wackos like yourself decide to be the spokespeople for all right wingers and tell them what to do too. I just so happen to like academia just as my Republican, academic friends do. I for one am sick to death of folks like the two mentioned senators and others of the republican persuasion cowtowing to big industry (in this case the insurnace industry) and lobbiest groups like MADD and SADD and various religious organizations so they can pass laws to curtail our freedoms in the name of the children. How old are you? You're still alive aren't you? Did you have fun getting here? Did you like people telling you what do when you had a personal responsibility to yourself and could make a grown up choice to do something or not? Our country wasn't created by a bunch of Torrey conformists. If you are an NRA supporter, I'm sure you can understand my point. Don't pick and choose what everyone elses choices should be. I don't choose to have a gun but, if the insurance industry was sick and tired of paying for as many gun shot wounds (which I'm sure they are since you and I probably have to foot the bill for most of the poor uninsured thugs who shoot each other and children) as they do for smoking and tobacco related deaths they probably try to start getting politicians to support legislation to outlaw guns as well. Get my point? I hope so. I don't like thowing bread at a stone wall. Waste of bread on a stubborn surface w/ no memory.
I agree with you it is like trying to teach a pig to sing, wastes your time and annoys the pig.
@realitybites-3013996
Bite ME reality, that’s the reality of the fact our country is the United States of the offended! Counterfeit drugs, I have designed and developed more overt and covert security labeling products for “THAT” problem then you will ever dream of, so get out of that IVORY tower you live in and realize CHINA is not or BFF!
Not sorry JMHO!!!
There's a lot of health care costs for lip, tongue, and mouth cancer so that is probably why Sen. Turbin is looking into this. You know there's a lot of health care costs dealing with HIV/AIDS. Perhaps it's time for restrictions and taxes on this behavior. What?!? You don't agree? Everything is OK until they come after you.
How about we let MLB worry about MLB, and WE BAN fraud, waste and abuse in congress????? That is something we should be concerned with not what dip the pitchers uses.