Boston Mayor Walsh Signs Smokeless Tobacco Ban Into Law

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The use of smokeless tobacco products is no longer legal at Boston baseball parks, including Fenway Park.

Mayor Marty Walsh signed an ordinance into law on Wednesday, prohibiting an array of tobacco products at professional, collegiate, high school and organized amateur sporting events throughout Boston.

“I commend the Boston City Council on passing the ordinance banning smokeless tobacco at sports venues in Boston,” said Mayor Walsh. “I’m proud to sign this ordinance today. If we continue to take action steps such as these, Boston will be on its way to becoming a healthier City, full of positive examples for our young people to follow. The consequences of smokeless tobacco are real and can be devastating. We’re doing the right thing for our children and I look forward to continuing on the path to making Boston a leader in healthy and active living.”

“Smokeless tobacco” refers to any product that contains cut, ground, powdered, or leaf tobacco and is intended to be placed in the oral or nasal cavity, including, but not limited to, snuff, chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco, dissolvable tobacco products and snus.

The National Cancer Institute states that chewing tobacco and snuff contain 28 cancer-causing agents and the U.S. National Toxicology Program has established smokeless tobacco as a “known human carcinogen.”

“With Boston playing a leading role, from coast to coast, city by city, we are getting tobacco out of baseball once and for all,” said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “Mayor Walsh’s signature on this law means Boston is a national leader in reducing the number of young people using smokeless tobacco. Our national pastime should be about promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, not a deadly and addictive product.”

Event site managers will be primarily responsible for maintaining compliance with the ordinance.

Signs will be posted at entrances to sites as well as dugouts, bullpens, training and locker rooms and press boxes. Any person found in violation may be fined $250 per offense. The prohibitions and requirements will become effective on April 1, 2016.