The Hill News

A group of four Democratic senators sent a letter to the Major League Baseball Player's Association Tuesday, asking the union to agree to a ban of tobacco products at baseball games. The plea comes the day before baseball's World Series championship begins in St. Louis.

Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT.) joined in the letter, which was specifically targeted at the smokeless tobacco regularly used by players at baseball games. Smoking in view of cameras during games is already prohibited by MLB rules.

"Unfortunately, as these young fans root for their favorite team and players, they also will watch their on-field heroes use smokeless tobacco products,” wrote the Senators. “During the upcoming negotiations over the bargaining agreement, we write to ask that the Major League Baseball Players Association agree to a prohibition on the use of all tobacco products at games and on ca! mera at all Major League ballparks.  This would send a strong message to young baseball fans, who look toward the players as role models, that tobacco use is not essential to the sport of baseball.”

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