San Francisco Strikes Chewing Tobacco From Playing Fields

Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to ban chewing tobacco from sports playing fields in the city, including AT&T Park.

San Francisco Supervisor Mark Farrell said the proposal specifically targets baseball, which has a long history of players masticating and spitting tobacco juice on the field. He said kids shouldn't get the idea that they need to use tobacco to be a great ballplayer.

The city currently prohibits cigarette and cigar smoking at sports arenas, fields, parks and stadiums. Tuesday's ordinance adds smokeless tobacco — moist inhalable snuff and chewing tobacco — to the list. AT&T Park is home to the San Francisco Giants, last year's World Series champions.

Minor league baseball has banned chewing tobacco since the early 1990s, but it's still a negotiable contract item with Major League Baseball players.

The ordinance, which needs another formal vote by the board next week, would take effect Jan. 1.