California Senator wants to ban tobacco from youth sports
Out in California, lawmakers and State Senator Richard Pan are trying to introduce a new bill that would change everything in youth sports. No, it doesn’t have to do with goal-scoring or rule changes on the field; instead, it has everything to do with the health and well-being of our next generation of athletes.
The lawmakers are proposing a bill that would “prohibit cigarettes, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products within 250 feet of any game, practice or activity . . . in California where athletes under the age of 18 are present.”
Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but it really, truly is. For athletes at an impressionable age, professionals aren’t the only role models they need to look up to.
Parents and adults alike can now help set an awesome precedence moving forward: tobacco isn’t cool. While youth sports athletes look up to Lionel Messi, Mike Trout, and Tom Brady on the field, they’re also prone to the power of suggestion.
So, simply put, if adults use tobacco products during youth sports games, then they’re basically telling their future athletes that it’s OK as well.
Pan said: “Youth sports is about promoting good health and athleticism and excellence. We should encourage behaviors that support those goals and discourage ones that don’t.” For us, this is a no-brainer — so we’ll be rooting for this bill all the way! Go California!
The Sacramento Bee — California lawmaker wants to ban tobacco at youth sports events
