WASHINGTON — Ballplayers with wads of chewing tobacco in their cheeks would be a thing of the past if U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. has his way.
Pallone (D-6th Dist.), the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, marked baseball's opening day by calling for a ban on smokeless tobacco in ballparks.
"Without a complete ban, smokeless tobacco will continue to receive free advertising from America's pastime and use of these products will continue to be seen as an acceptable part of the game by fans both young and old," Pallone said Monday.