A new legislation has been introduced to ban the use of smokeless tobacco in all sports stadiums across New York. The New York City Health Department supports the legislation stating that around 415,000 kids in the US are trying smokeless tobacco.

The Yankee Stadium and Citi Field will be sharing same fate with other sports facilities. Famous baseball players are often seen chewing smokeless tobacco on television screen.

“Unfortunately, our young people repeatedly see professional athletes, especially baseball players, using smokeless tobacco, making this practice appear socially acceptable,” said senior legal counsel Kevin Schroth.

The bill was introduced by city mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday. The legislation proposed that tobacco should be prohibited in public places, including stadiums. It also suggests banning new hookah bars. Such bars are increasingly getting popular among youngsters. San Francisco, Boston and Los Angles have already passed similar bills.

Bill also includes banning tobacco products along with chewing tobacco for everybody, including players. The health department even favors bills that demand banning tobacco products at stores.

Major League Baseball (MLB) wants to ban chewing tobacco completely in Ballparks, which has been following labor agreement which banned tobacco in Ballparks, but missed out mentioning a condition of banning players from using tobacco while playing on field. The agreement will expire in December.

In 2004, MLB introduced a drug policy, an initiative stimulated by pressures from congress, which then opposed use of steroids during the game. Only time would tell if MLB will succeed in its latest attempt without any political influence.