N.J. Congressman Asks MLB To Ban Chewing Tobacco

Wednesday,  Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Frank Pallone from New Jersey and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry Waxman sent a letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Michael Weiner urging them to include in their new collective bargaining agreement both testing for HGH and a ban on smokeless tobacco by players in the dugout and on the field.

In part, the letter reads….

“Press reports indicate that agreement on a new Major League Baseball labor agreement is imminent.[1] As you enter final negotiations over this agreement, we hope that you ensure that it addresses two critical public health issues: (1) testing for Human Growth Hormone and (2) ending the use of smokeless tobacco. These issues affect the integrity of the game, the health of your players, and most important, the health of teenagers who aspire to be like pro players.”

What do you think?