Mets back ban on chewing tobacco at Citi Field

The New York Mets and Major League Baseball have thrown their support behind a New York City Council measure that would ban all forms of smokeless tobacco from being used at NYC sports venues.

Councilman Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan), told the Daily News why he chose to sponsor the chewing tobacco ban:

"I couldn't imagine us being OK as city or society as a whole with a baseball player standing in left field smoking a cigarette while the game was going on, on national television... but it seems to be, just because of culturally what has existed for a long time, it's OK for professional athletes to stand in left field or in the dugout and chew wads of smokeless tobacco."

The Mets also chimed in:

"Preventing children from being exposed to smokeless tobacco is an important initiative and we are glad to play our part in achieving this important goal."

One Mets player who is almost certain to support the ban is setup man Addison Reed. Reed, who was once an avid user of chewing tobacco, abruptly quit using it after the death of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, his former college coach. Gwynn, who died in 2014 following a long battle with cancer of the mouth and salivary glands, blamed his illness on his use of dipping tobacco.