Kudos to the Omaha Storm Chasers and Werner Park for plans to open smoke-free.

Here's the smoke-free policy from the Storm Chasers' website:

Smoking
Werner Park is a smoke-free ballpark - smoking is only allowed in designated areas outside of the ticketed area. Guests who fail to comply with the no-smoking policy will be asked to exit the Werner Park grounds. 

The Omaha Storm Chasers are the city's Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The team was previously known as the Omaha Royals. Opening day 2011 is this Friday, April 15.

Many thanks to Tobacco Free Sarpy for working with the team to make this home run for health. The coalition plans to recognize the Storm Chasers and Werner Park at an upcoming luncheon for making the choice to be smoke-free.

The choice by the Omaha Storm Chasers and Werner Park to open smoke-free comes at the same time as a national effort to knock tobacco out of Major League Baseball.

Groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society, American Dental Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Legacy, Oral Health America and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are calling on Major League Baseball to to tobacco free.

Tobacco was banned in the minor leagues 18 years ago. The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Hockey League have also banned it.

“I personally believe that smokeless tobacco should be banned at the Major League level.”

That's according a letter the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids received Thursday -- opening day for the 2011 baseball season -- from Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Bud Selig.

Does this Mean Major League Baseball is Now Set to be Tobacco Free?
No. Commissioner Selig correctly points out that this is a negotiating issue between MLB and the players’ union. That means it's our turn to make our voices heard for kids. Do so today by asking your favorite team(s) to support the ban.

Why is it Important for Major League Baseball to be Tobacco Free?
Tobacco was banned in the minor leagues 18 years ago. The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Hockey League have already banned it.

In Thursday's New York Times, Bobby Valentine, ESPN commentator and former NY Mets coach, talked about why a ban on tobacco use in Major League Baseball 
is important.

"True, some players say tobacco use is nobody’s business—that tobacco is legal, that they are adults and chewing tobacco is a personal choice. But they are public figures and role models for kids, and need to recognize the added responsibility that the limelight brings. And they would still be free to use tobacco on their own time, just not while playing baseball."

Join Bobby Valentine, 15 top health officials from MLB cities, and 10 major public health groups by standing up for kids today. Send a message to your favorite team(s) calling on them to support a ban on all tobacco use on the field and in the dugout!

After the call of two U.S. Senators for major league baseball and the players association to ban tobacco use, ten major medical and public health groups have joined together to knock tobacco use out of the ballpark.

The campaign urges Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to ban tobacco use by players, managers, coaches and other staff at major league ballparks.

The groups involved are: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society, American Dental Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Legacy, Oral Health America and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The campaign features a new website,www.tobaccofreebaseball.org. 

In a letter sent in November to Allen Selig, Commissioner of Major League Baseball, and Micahel Weiner, executive director of the players association, the groups wrote: "Given the devastating toll of tobacco use on America’s children and families, it is critically important that Major League Baseball prohibit the use of this harmful product."

The groups note that according to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, use of smokeless tobacco products has increased by 36 percent among high school boys since 2003. An alarming 15 percent of high school boys currently use smokeless tobacco. 

At the same time, the tobacco companies spend millions on smokeless tobacco marketing, much of it appealing to children. The use of smokeless tobacco by Major Leaguers runs contrary to positive image that baseball has worked so hard to convey, and could even help the tobacco industry addict new generations of kids, according to the groups.

In February, U.S. Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) called for Major League Baseball and the players association to ban the use of tobacco products at MLB venues. 

The use of smokeless tobacco in Major League Baseball has drawn scrutiny from Congress and the media for months. In April 2010, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), held a hearing on the issue.

Tobacco use was banned in baseball’s minor leagues in 1993. The NCAA and the National Hockey League have instituted prohibitions on tobacco use.  Major League Baseball is lagging behind. 

Smokeless tobacco contains at least 28 known carcinogens and has been found to cause oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, cardiovascular disease, gum disease, tooth decay and mouth lesions. It has also been linked to other forms of cancer.