Joe Maddon, then-manager of the Chicago Cubs, told the Chicago Tribune at the time, Im into personal freedoms, and I dont understand the point with all that I stopped chewing tobacco about 15 years ago, and Im glad that I did, (but) to tell me what I can and cant do as an adult, Im not into that. Despite the outspoken few, many players were very supportive of the ban, some saying it would be the push they needed to help them quit the habit, and others simply recognizing that it was obviously for the greater good
It can erode gum tissue and bone that may never grow back
Heavy smoking (a pack a day) has been on the decline over the past few decades
However, as more and more research was conducted on the harmful effects of smoking, tobacco use became stigmatized among the west, and stricter rules were passed and enforced to mitigate the damage caused by both active and passive smoking