Chewing tobacco
Encyclopedia
Chewing tobacco is a type of smokeless tobacco
product consumed by placing a portion of the tobacco between the cheek and gum or teeth and chewing. Unlike dipping tobacco, it is not ground and must be mechanically crushed with the teeth to release flavor and nicotine
. Unwanted juices are then expectorated.
Chewing tobacco is typically manufactured as several varieties of product – most often as loose leaf (or scrap), pellets (tobacco "bites" or "bits"), and "plug" (a form of loose leaf tobacco condensed with a binding sweetener). Nearly all modern chewing tobaccos are produced via a process of leaf curing, cutting, fermentation and processing or sweetening. Historically, many American chewing tobacco brands (which were popular during the American Civil War
era) were made with cigar
clippings.
Chewing is one of the oldest methods of consuming tobacco. Native Americans
in both North and South America chewed the leaves of the plant, frequently mixed with the mineral lime
. Chewing tobacco was the most prevalent form of tobacco use in the United States until it was overtaken by cigarette
smoking in the early 20th century.
, "Some health scientists have suggested that smokeless tobacco should be used in smoking cessation programmes and have made implicit or explicit claims that its use would partly reduce the exposure of smokers to carcinogens and the risk for cancer. These claims, however, are not supported by the available evidence." Oral and spit tobacco increase the risk for leukoplakia
, a precursor to oral cancer
. Chewing tobacco has been known to cause cancer
, particularly of the mouth and throat.
Can also cause weight gain.
and cancer
in both North and South America chewed the leaves of the plant, frequently mixed with the mineral lime
.
The southern United States was distinctive for its production of tobacco, which earned premium prices from around the world. Most farmers grew a little for their own use, or traded with neighbors who grew it. Commercial sales became important in the late 19th century as major tobacco companies rose in the South, becoming one of the largest employers in cities like Winston-Salem, NC, Durham, NC and Richmond, VA. Southerners dominated the tobacco industry in the United States; even a concern as large as the Helm Tobacco Company
, headquartered in New Jersey
, was headed by former Confederate officer George Washington Helme
. In 1938 R.J. Reynolds
marketed eighty-four brands of chewing tobacco, twelve brands of smoking tobacco, and the top-selling Camel brand of cigarettes. Reynolds sold large quantities of chewing tobacco, though that market peaked about 1910.
A historian of the American South in the late 1860s reported on typical usage in the region where it was grown, paying close attention to class and gender:
Chewing tobacco is still sometimes used, predominantly by young white males in some rural parts of the American Southeast, but also more rarely in other areas and age groups. In September 2006 both the Republican and Democratic candidates for Senator from Virginia admitted to chewing tobacco and agreed that it sets a bad example for children.
In the late 19th century, during the peak in popularity of chewing tobacco in the Western United States, a device known as the spittoon
was a ubiquitous feature throughout places both private and public (e.g. parlour
s and passenger cars). The purpose of the spittoon was to provide a receptacle for excess juices and spittle accumulated from the oral use of tobacco. As chewing tobacco's popularity declined throughout the years, the spittoon became merely a relic of the Old West and is rarely seen outside museums. To this very day, spittoons are still present on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
, who quit, warns about chewing tobacco:
was a Major League player who made a big name for himself both through baseball and his anti-chewing-tobacco efforts. Tuttle was an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers
, Kansas City Athletics, and the Minnesota Twins
. He was an avid tobacco chewer; even his baseball cards pictured him with a bulge in his cheek from the tobacco. Nearly forty years after he began using smokeless tobacco, Tuttle developed a tumor in his mouth so severe it protruded through his skin. A few years before he died, Tuttle had to have many of his teeth, his jawbone, his gums, and his right cheekbone removed. He also had to have his taste buds removed. Tuttle dedicated the last years of his life to speaking with Major League teams about not using chewing tobacco where television cameras could see the players so that children could not witness and be influenced it. He also dedicated time to the National Spit Tobacco Education Program, which was being run by friend and former Major League player, Joe Garagiola. Tuttle died July 27, 1998, after a five-year battle with cancer.
Babe Ruth
, perhaps the most famous player of all time, also died of throat cancer. In the mid 1940s, Ruth was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma
(cancer of the upper throat). The top two causes of this disease are alcohol and tobacco; Ruth was a heavy user of both.
Rex Barney
, who began his career at age 19 pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers, later recounted that his coach told him he had to begin chewing tobacco if he ever wanted to be a Major League pitcher. Barney contracted a sickness from chewing and was unable to play in the first game he was supposed to start in.
1860: The term "bullpen
" comes into existence when Blackwell Tobacco Company releases Bull Durham brand tobacco.
1890: Dr. Robert Koch
shows that the spitting of chewing tobacco was leading to a spread of tuberculosis. This leads to a downturn in use of chewing tobacco among the general population, but baseball players continue use.
1909: Honus Wagner
, a well-known American baseball player, tells American Tobacco Company
to take his picture off of their cartons. He does not want to be responsible for influencing children to smoke.
1948: Babe Ruth dies of throat cancer at age 53.
1950s: Use of smokeless tobacco decreases as players make the switch to cigarettes.
1970: Players' use of smokeless tobacco increases once again when the U.S. Government begins to warn against the potential risks of smoking.
1993: Minor League
players, coaches, and staff prohibited from smokeless tobacco use during games.
1998: Bill Tuttle, anti-chewing-tobacco spokesperson and former MLB player, dies at the age of 69 after a five-year battle with cancer.
2010: San Diego Padres
HOFer Tony Gwynn
is diagnosed with cancer of a salivary gland which he says is due to him still using chaw.
2011: New five year labor deal prevents the use of smokeless tobacco during pre and post-game interviews. However doesn't ban the use during games as long as the can or pouch is out of sight.
and Sports Illustrated
respectively. Slogans included "Cock-A-Doodle Freakin' Do," "Where's the Chicks," and "Birds of a Feather Party Together."
disagrees, claiming it is a legal substance and therefore is acceptable to be used during games. Harvard School of Public Health
professor, Gregory Connolly, however, says "the use of smokeless tobacco by players has a powerful role model effect on youth particularly among young males in sport, some of whom remain addicted in future careers as professional athletes." According to Connolly, three quarters of Minor League players do not support allowing the use of chewing tobacco during games, and two-thirds of Major League players (where it is currently still allowed) support abolishing it. Due to health concerns The MLB was asked to ban the use of chewing tobacco during the 2011 World Series
between the St. Louis Cardinals
and Texas Rangers
.
A 2009 survey by The U.S. Center for Disease Control revealed that 8.9% of U.S. high school students had used smokeless tobacco (e.g., chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip) on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey. Usage was more common among males (15.0%) than females (2.2%) and among whites (11.9%) than blacks (3.3%) or Hispanics (5.1%). The five states with the highest percentage of high school users were Wyoming (16.2%) North Dakota (15.3%) South Dakota (14.6%) Montana (14.6%) and West Virginia (14.4%).
Smokeless tobacco
Smokeless Tobacco may refer to:* Dipping tobacco, a type of tobacco that is placed between the lower or upper lip and gums.* Chewing tobacco, a type of tobacco that is chewed.* Snuff, a type of tobacco that is insufflated or "snuffed" through the nose....
product consumed by placing a portion of the tobacco between the cheek and gum or teeth and chewing. Unlike dipping tobacco, it is not ground and must be mechanically crushed with the teeth to release flavor and nicotine
Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
. Unwanted juices are then expectorated.
Chewing tobacco is typically manufactured as several varieties of product – most often as loose leaf (or scrap), pellets (tobacco "bites" or "bits"), and "plug" (a form of loose leaf tobacco condensed with a binding sweetener). Nearly all modern chewing tobaccos are produced via a process of leaf curing, cutting, fermentation and processing or sweetening. Historically, many American chewing tobacco brands (which were popular during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
era) were made with cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
clippings.
Chewing is one of the oldest methods of consuming tobacco. Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
in both North and South America chewed the leaves of the plant, frequently mixed with the mineral lime
Lime (mineral)
Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...
. Chewing tobacco was the most prevalent form of tobacco use in the United States until it was overtaken by cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
smoking in the early 20th century.
Cancer and leukoplakia
According to the International Agency for Research on CancerInternational Agency for Research on Cancer
The International Agency for Research on Cancer is an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Organisation of the United Nations....
, "Some health scientists have suggested that smokeless tobacco should be used in smoking cessation programmes and have made implicit or explicit claims that its use would partly reduce the exposure of smokers to carcinogens and the risk for cancer. These claims, however, are not supported by the available evidence." Oral and spit tobacco increase the risk for leukoplakia
Leukoplakia
Leukoplakia is a clinical term used to describe patches of keratosis. It is visible as adherent white patches on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, including the tongue, but also other areas of the gastro-intestinal tract, urinary tract and the genitals. The clinical appearance is highly...
, a precursor to oral cancer
Oral cancer
Oral cancer is a subtype of head and neck cancer, is any cancerous tissue growth located in the oral cavity. It may arise as a primary lesion originating in any of the oral tissues, by metastasis from a distant site of origin, or by extension from a neighboring anatomic structure, such as the...
. Chewing tobacco has been known to cause cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, particularly of the mouth and throat.
Can also cause weight gain.
and cancer
Forms of Chewing Tobacco
- Loose leaf tobacco is sweetened and packaged loose in aluminum-lined pouches. The chewer simply takes a portion directly from the pouch. This is the most widely available.
- Plug tobacco is press formed into sheets, with the aid of a little syrup, mostly molasses, which helps maintain form as well as sweeten. The sheets are then cut into individual plugs, wrapped with fine tobacco and then packaged. Individual servings must be cut or bitten directly from the plug.
- Twist tobacco is spun and rolled into large rope-like strands and then twisted into a knot. The final product is much lower in moisture than plug or loose leaf tobacco, and historic varieties could be smoked in a pipe as well as chewed. This was the most common form of chewing tobacco in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Tobacco bits are formed by rolling sweetened and typically flavored tobacco into small pieces which are consumed individually. These are typically packaged in small tins like mints.
History
Chewing is one of the oldest ways of consuming tobacco leaves. Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
in both North and South America chewed the leaves of the plant, frequently mixed with the mineral lime
Lime (mineral)
Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...
.
The southern United States was distinctive for its production of tobacco, which earned premium prices from around the world. Most farmers grew a little for their own use, or traded with neighbors who grew it. Commercial sales became important in the late 19th century as major tobacco companies rose in the South, becoming one of the largest employers in cities like Winston-Salem, NC, Durham, NC and Richmond, VA. Southerners dominated the tobacco industry in the United States; even a concern as large as the Helm Tobacco Company
Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company
The Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company of Wheeling, West Virginia, are best known for their Mail Pouch Tobacco. Mail Pouch was a popular chew advertised on thousands of barns, most of which were located in the rural Ohio Valley. Each barn had an end or side painted with the tobacco logo...
, headquartered in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, was headed by former Confederate officer George Washington Helme
George Washington Helme
George Washington Helme , the founder of Helmetta, New Jersey, was the ninth child and fifth son of Major Oliver Helme by his second wife Sarah Pease Fish....
. In 1938 R.J. Reynolds
R.J. Reynolds
Richard Joshua "R. J." Reynolds was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company....
marketed eighty-four brands of chewing tobacco, twelve brands of smoking tobacco, and the top-selling Camel brand of cigarettes. Reynolds sold large quantities of chewing tobacco, though that market peaked about 1910.
A historian of the American South in the late 1860s reported on typical usage in the region where it was grown, paying close attention to class and gender:
Chewing tobacco is still sometimes used, predominantly by young white males in some rural parts of the American Southeast, but also more rarely in other areas and age groups. In September 2006 both the Republican and Democratic candidates for Senator from Virginia admitted to chewing tobacco and agreed that it sets a bad example for children.
In the late 19th century, during the peak in popularity of chewing tobacco in the Western United States, a device known as the spittoon
Spittoon
A spittoon is a receptacle made for spitting into, especially by users of chewing and dipping tobacco. It is also known as a cuspidor , although that term is also used for a type of spitting sink used in dentistry."Spittoon" can also be slang American English...
was a ubiquitous feature throughout places both private and public (e.g. parlour
Parlour
Parlour , from the French word parloir, from parler , denotes an "audience chamber". In parts of the United Kingdom and the United States, parlours are common names for certain types of food service houses, restaurants or special service areas, such as tattoo parlors...
s and passenger cars). The purpose of the spittoon was to provide a receptacle for excess juices and spittle accumulated from the oral use of tobacco. As chewing tobacco's popularity declined throughout the years, the spittoon became merely a relic of the Old West and is rarely seen outside museums. To this very day, spittoons are still present on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
Brands
- Apple Jack
- Beech Nut
- Big Mountain
- Brown's Mule
- Blood Hound Plug
- Bowie
- Bull of the Woods
- Camel
- Cannonball Plug
- Chattanooga Chew
- copenhagen
- Cotton Boll
- Cougar
- Days O' Work
- Durango
- Gold River
- Grizzly
- Kodiak
- Kayak
- King B Twist
- Lancaster
- Levi GarrettLevi GarrettLevi Garrett is a brand of chewing tobacco. It has a noticeably salty flavor....
- Mail Pouch
- Morgans
- Mammoth Cave
- Oliver Twist
- Peachy
- Red ManRed ManRed Man is a leading brand of chewing tobacco in the United States, produced since 1904. Red Man has traditionally come as leaf tobacco, in contrast to twist chewing tobacco or the ground tobacco used in snuff, and became a leader in that form of oral/dental/mouth tobacco. It is made by the...
- Redwood
- Rooster
- Silver Creek
- Skoal
- Southern Pride
- Springfield
- Starr
- Taylor's Pride
- WB Extra Long
- Work Horse
Baseball
When the rules of baseball were first written in 1845, the carcinogenic potential of chewing tobacco was unknown. At that time, it was commonly used by players and coaches alike. Smokeless tobacco use became rampant by players by the early 1900s. They liked chewing tobacco because it kept their mouths (and their mitts) moist on the dusty infield. The use of chewing tobacco in baseball steadily increased until the mid-20th century, when cigarettes became popular and took the place of some players' smokeless tobacco habit. As shown below, a number of notable players have died of oral cancer as a result. Joe GaragiolaJoe Garagiola
Joseph Henry "Joe" Garagiola, Sr. is an American former catcher in Major League Baseball who later became an announcer and television host, popular for his colorful personality. He was well known for being one of the regular panelists of The Today Show on NBC for many years.-Early life:Garagiola...
, who quit, warns about chewing tobacco:
Notable players affected by chewing tobacco
Bill TuttleBill Tuttle
William Robert Tuttle was a center fielder for three teams during his Major League Baseball career; the Detroit Tigers from 1952 to 1957, the Kansas City Athletics from 1958 to 1961, and the Minnesota Twins from 1961 to 1963...
was a Major League player who made a big name for himself both through baseball and his anti-chewing-tobacco efforts. Tuttle was an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Kansas City Athletics, and the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. He was an avid tobacco chewer; even his baseball cards pictured him with a bulge in his cheek from the tobacco. Nearly forty years after he began using smokeless tobacco, Tuttle developed a tumor in his mouth so severe it protruded through his skin. A few years before he died, Tuttle had to have many of his teeth, his jawbone, his gums, and his right cheekbone removed. He also had to have his taste buds removed. Tuttle dedicated the last years of his life to speaking with Major League teams about not using chewing tobacco where television cameras could see the players so that children could not witness and be influenced it. He also dedicated time to the National Spit Tobacco Education Program, which was being run by friend and former Major League player, Joe Garagiola. Tuttle died July 27, 1998, after a five-year battle with cancer.
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, perhaps the most famous player of all time, also died of throat cancer. In the mid 1940s, Ruth was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is the most common cancer originating in the nasopharynx, the uppermost region of the pharynx , behind the nose where the nasal passages and auditory tubes join the remainder of the upper respiratory tract. NPC differs significantly from other cancers of the head and neck...
(cancer of the upper throat). The top two causes of this disease are alcohol and tobacco; Ruth was a heavy user of both.
Rex Barney
Rex Barney
Rex Edward Barney was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943 and from 1946 through 1950....
, who began his career at age 19 pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers, later recounted that his coach told him he had to begin chewing tobacco if he ever wanted to be a Major League pitcher. Barney contracted a sickness from chewing and was unable to play in the first game he was supposed to start in.
Timeline
1845: Baseball rules written, chewing tobacco use among players already rampant.1860: The term "bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
" comes into existence when Blackwell Tobacco Company releases Bull Durham brand tobacco.
1890: Dr. Robert Koch
Robert Koch
Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch was a German physician. He became famous for isolating Bacillus anthracis , the Tuberculosis bacillus and the Vibrio cholerae and for his development of Koch's postulates....
shows that the spitting of chewing tobacco was leading to a spread of tuberculosis. This leads to a downturn in use of chewing tobacco among the general population, but baseball players continue use.
1909: Honus Wagner
Honus Wagner
-Louisville Colonels:Recognizing his talent, Barrow recommended Wagner to the Louisville Colonels. After some hesitation about his awkward figure, Wagner was signed by the Colonels, where he hit .338 in 61 games....
, a well-known American baseball player, tells American Tobacco Company
American Tobacco Company
The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company...
to take his picture off of their cartons. He does not want to be responsible for influencing children to smoke.
1948: Babe Ruth dies of throat cancer at age 53.
1950s: Use of smokeless tobacco decreases as players make the switch to cigarettes.
1970: Players' use of smokeless tobacco increases once again when the U.S. Government begins to warn against the potential risks of smoking.
1993: Minor League
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
players, coaches, and staff prohibited from smokeless tobacco use during games.
1998: Bill Tuttle, anti-chewing-tobacco spokesperson and former MLB player, dies at the age of 69 after a five-year battle with cancer.
2010: San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
HOFer Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
is diagnosed with cancer of a salivary gland which he says is due to him still using chaw.
2011: New five year labor deal prevents the use of smokeless tobacco during pre and post-game interviews. However doesn't ban the use during games as long as the can or pouch is out of sight.
Targeting youth
Smokeless tobacco companies often target younger people with their marketing campaigns. This marketing takes advantage of the fact that, while the current young generation grew up with the knowledge that smoking causes cancer and heart attacks they do not yet know the health risks of other forms of tobacco. Tobacco companies cleverly target their advertisements toward inducing younger consumers to start buying their products. For example, in 2001 and 2002, The United States Smokeless Tobacco Company ran advertisements for its Rooster brand in Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
respectively. Slogans included "Cock-A-Doodle Freakin' Do," "Where's the Chicks," and "Birds of a Feather Party Together."
Baseball players' use effect on youth
There is debate over whether players should be banned from using tobacco products during the games. The Major League Baseball Players AssociationMajor League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
disagrees, claiming it is a legal substance and therefore is acceptable to be used during games. Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
professor, Gregory Connolly, however, says "the use of smokeless tobacco by players has a powerful role model effect on youth particularly among young males in sport, some of whom remain addicted in future careers as professional athletes." According to Connolly, three quarters of Minor League players do not support allowing the use of chewing tobacco during games, and two-thirds of Major League players (where it is currently still allowed) support abolishing it. Due to health concerns The MLB was asked to ban the use of chewing tobacco during the 2011 World Series
2011 World Series
The 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
between the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
Statistics
Many believe that the widespread use of chewing tobacco by baseball players has led to a rampant increase in youth, and particularly teen, use. Additionally, teen use of smokeless tobacco has increased, while use of all tobacco products by teens has decreased. This is true especially among white and Hispanic males. In 1970, five times as many 65-and-older males used smokeless tobacco as 18- to 24-year-olds did (12.7% of the population were 65+ male users, 2.2% of the population were 18–24 male users). More specifically, moist snuff use increased for males ages 18–24 from 1% of the population to 6.2% of the population, while 65+ male users decreased from 4% to 2.2%.A 2009 survey by The U.S. Center for Disease Control revealed that 8.9% of U.S. high school students had used smokeless tobacco (e.g., chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip) on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey. Usage was more common among males (15.0%) than females (2.2%) and among whites (11.9%) than blacks (3.3%) or Hispanics (5.1%). The five states with the highest percentage of high school users were Wyoming (16.2%) North Dakota (15.3%) South Dakota (14.6%) Montana (14.6%) and West Virginia (14.4%).