April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month
Oral cancer is the sixth deadliest form of cancer – deadlier then cervical, brain, ovarian or skin cancer. It can first appear as a tiny sore or spot anywhere in your mouth, and often without any associated symptoms in its early stages. Oral cancer screening is a routine part of a dental examination and is key to early detection of cancerous and pre-cancerous conditions. Risk factors include smoking, alcohol, family history and excessive sun exposure, but one risk factor has been getting particular attention as of late – smokeless tobacco.
With baseball season in high gear, the American Dental Association, along with 9 other organizations, is urging Major League Baseball to go tobacco free beginning in 2012. The Knock Tobacco Out of the Park campaign is calling on Commissioner Selig and the MLB Players Association to curb their bad habits and start making a positive influence on the millions of children who watch America’s pastime.
“Kids idolize these players and imitate their every move,” says Danny McGoldrick, vice president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “This is one we don’t want them imitating.” Among high school males, there has been a 36 percent rise in use from 2003 to 2009. Just how much of that increase can be attributed to modeling MLB players remains unknown, says McGoldrick.
Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who recently underwent treatment for cancer of the salivary gland, attributes his cancer to years of smokeless tobacco use. He is one of several major league ballplayers who have recently aired their health problems and addiction struggles due to smokeless tobacco in the media and before Congress.
Professional baseball has made some efforts to curtail the use of chewing tobacco. The Minor Leagues banned it from ballparks in 1993, with fines ranging from $100 to $1,000. As of yet, there is no ban in the Majors. The only way to effect a ban would be during the round of collective bargaining that occurs every five years. The latest session is set to finish at the end of this year.
It stands to reason that if Major League Baseball could successfully bar players from smoking cigarettes while in uniform, they should have no problem ditching the dip. But short of that, at the very least, they can do more to make the health risks of chewing tobacco obvious to the generations of younger players who look up to these guys with packed lips whenever they turn on a game.