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Committee approves amendments and forwards ordinance to ban smokeless tobacco at stadiums and athletic fields
Summary
Supervisors accepted technical amendments and forwarded an ordinance to prohibit smokeless tobacco and e‑cigarette use at AT&T Park and all city athletic fields, citing UCSF research and concerns about athlete role‑modeling of youth tobacco adoption.
The committee voted to accept technical amendments and forward an ordinance to the Board of Supervisors that would ban smokeless tobacco and similar tobacco‑consuming devices at major stadiums and all city athletic fields.
Sponsor Supervisor Mark Farrell said the ordinance amends the health code to include smokeless tobacco and devices used to consume tobacco and would make stadiums and playing fields smoke‑ and tobacco‑product free beginning Jan. 1 of the following year to allow parties time to prepare. Farrell cited a new summary of UCSF research documenting increased risks of oral and pancreatic cancers, nicotine addiction and the starter effect on adolescents, and he said role modeling by players contributes to youth initiation.
Speakers from public‑health organizations, the San Francisco Medical Society, the American Lung Association, the Recreation and Park Department and local coalitions testified in support. Benjamin Chaffee and other UCSF researchers described evidence linking athlete role modeling to youth smokeless‑tobacco uptake. Recreation and Park Department Superintendent Bob Palacio said the department strongly supports the measure.
Supervisor Campos moved to accept technical amendments; the committee accepted the changes and then moved the item forward as a committee report to the Board without recorded objection.
Next steps: The ordinance, as amended, will be docketed for consideration by the full Board of Supervisors.
