Bill Would Ban Chewing Tobacco In Baseball

Chewing tobacco could soon disappear from major league ballparks in California.

Health advocates are pushing a bill introduced today in the state Legislature that would ban the use of all tobacco products, including smokeless, at organized baseball games.

Matthew Myers heads the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids which is sponsoring the bill. He appeared on Insight with Beth Ruyak today.

"In the last 10 years, even though the percentage of adolescent boys who use cigarettes has dropped by 28 percent, the use of smokeless tobacco has actually gone up," says Myers. "And it’s not a surprise; they see their heroes do it, they want to do it."

The latest research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows nearly 15 percent of high school boys in the U.S. reported using smokeless tobacco products.

David Sutton, a spokesman for the tobacco company Altria, said he did not have a comment on this bill.