King County bans chewing tobacco for Mariners players and fans at Safeco Field – IOTW Report

King County bans chewing tobacco for Mariners players and fans at Safeco Field

Fox-

Droves of Mariners fans converged on Safeco Field on Thursday, drawn to everything they love about baseball.

For some, that love also comes with an ingrained habit.

“I would say 50% of the guys who go to a Mariners games over 18 probably have a chew in their back pocket,” Mariners fan Trey Siegel said.

That little bit of culture now erased, at least in King County.

“We are hoping to send the right message by taking tobacco out of Major League sports in King County,” King County Council member Rod Dembowski said.

Dembowski, who is on the King County Board of Health, voted to ban chewing tobacco from all professional sporting venues in the county. The venues include Safeco Field, CenturyLink and KeyArena.

The board believes chewing tobacco is a public health issue and Dembowski says the ban for him has a lot to do with setting a good example for children.

“I love baseball and when I see baseball players chewing tobacco, I get sad,” said one child addressing government leaders.

Parents believe it’s the right move.

“I don’t recommend doing it, but I think it’s up to the person to make their own decision,” Siegel said.

Leading some to believe the ban is a government overreach.

“I am not a personal fan of chewing tobacco. However, I don’t think it’s the government’s role to regulate that,” Kyle Shanafelt said.

“If the Mariners hadn’t come to us to ask us to do it, I don’t think we would be doing it,” Seattle City Council member Sally Bagshaw said.

Bagshaw says the Mariners came to government leaders two years ago leading to the ban.

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How about heroin use in Seattle, legal use… is that a health issue? The King County BOH wants “safe use” houses. How about a safe use area of Safeco Park for tobacco chewers? Too radical?

HT/ JD HASTY

 

31 Comments on King County bans chewing tobacco for Mariners players and fans at Safeco Field

  1. Ha! Uncle Al has the way.
    But I envision a lot bigger mess as the nicotine hurls grip the men after beer, nachos, and hot dogs.

    Do not spit upon the floor–expectorate in the Cuspidor

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  2. Reminds me of my brother when he visited Disneyland and they told him to tuck his shirt into his pants: “What the F**k is this, f**kin’ Russia???…F**in’ assholes….F**k’ off”.

    Then, the Disneyland Gestapo grabbed him…

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  3. JDHasty April 20, 2018 at 3:25 pm
    >betel nut chewers…

    Oh yeah, I remember them…that red juice would slide down their chins, and they were constantly spitting red stuff on the ground.

  4. One of my dad’s hunting partners had a 54 Ford Ranch station wagon with rotted out floorboards down by the clutch we used to take to go hunting upland birds like pheasants, quails, huns (Hungarian partridges) etc. back in the late 60’s and early 70’s. It was a great hunting car except when you went to put in the clutch to shift gears you’d more than likely drag the cuff of your pants thru a bunch of nasty shit he’s spit out thru those rotted out floor boards. We cursed him out a few times for that especially when we were driving it. And yes there is nothing worse than a styro foam cup full of that shit, we had some drivers who were jerks who would leave it in after the truck after their shift was done. We all wanted to kill the bastards or for that matter smash their face into it. It ended before that when my boss said no more, the next one who a left a cup of tobacco spit lying around would be fired immediately.

  5. The UPS driver that serves my shop is a helluva good guy, but he chews, and when we’re are just talking in the driveway he is always spitting spitting all over the place. Jeez. If he wasn’t such a good guy, and the fact that he has about a hundred pounds more muscle than I have, I’d put him in a headlock and teach him a lesson. That stuff is just nasty as hell.

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  6. The worst belly ache I ever had was 51 years ago. In our rats boxes(Big one not the sama meal boxes) would come a bag of chewing tobaco- different brands. I had never chewed before; so before leading a patrol I took a bite of (I think the name was “Red Man”(had a Hank Williams Indian on it) but 51 years ago?). About 50 min a Mig came to welcome us. I heard the jet before I could make it out. But As soon as I realized it was Chinese I swallowed my chaw as I ordered “HIt the deck!”. I had a bellyache for at least 18 hrs. Have nevere chewed since! smoked alot; chew Hell no!

  7. Brad, I know. I’ve got friends that you wouldn’t even know chew. There is no mistaking it with this guy. But I like him otherwise, and he does a good job for us, so I’ll put up with it.

  8. Betel nut palm seeds are the worst. Want some?

    They like opening car doors at stoplights to spit that shit out. Seen a couple fall out they so drunk

    Goddamn cockroaches.

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