San Francisco Board of Supervisors Approve First-in-Nation Legislation to Ban Tobacco Products from City Baseball Venues and Athletic Fields April 21, 2015 Advocacy, News, Public Health smokeless tobacco, knock tobacco out of the park, Mark Farrell, tobacco ban, tobacco free baseball 0 The San Francisco Board of Supervisors have unanimously approved SFMS-endorsed legislation that would ban all tobacco products – including smokeless tobacco – at all baseball venues and City athletic fields within the City and County of San Francisco. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold a final vote on the ordinance next week. If approved and signed by Mayor Ed Lee, the rule would take effect on January 1, 2016. The ordinance, proposed by Supervisor Mark Farrell, covers the players, the fans, and anyone in the venue during a baseball game or related activity and will make any (such as a stadium, league field, etc.) that hosts organized baseball games completely tobacco free at all times. It will also apply to specific athletic fields and events that are owned by the City as well. Similar penalty structures to San Francisco’s already existing anti-tobacco laws will also be put in place. The measure is designed to protect youth and the broader San Francisco community, and as the professional baseball season gets underway, to send a simple and powerful message: tobacco doesn’t belong near San Francisco’s kids, or as part of our national pastime. The San Francisco Medical Society, representing 1,600 San Francisco physicians and physicians-in-training, applauds Supervisor Mark Farrell for championing this ordinance to make the game of baseball safer for our kids, safer for the players, and safer for the future. We would also like to thank Supervisors Eric Mar, John Avalos, Katy Tang, Julie Christensen, Scott Wiener, Malia Cohen, David Campos, and Norman Yee as well coalition partner Tobacco-Free Kids, for their support and effort for a healthier San Francisco. Comments are closed.
