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Terry Pechacek, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Associate Director for Science at the Office on Smoking and Health, recently told a U.S. Congressional Panel that the use of smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco and snuff is on the rise among teens. He added that the data, which will be released by the CDC in the next few months, will show an increase among young white and Hispanic males.

Add this demographic to smokeless tobacco's tradition of acceptance in the game--and its visible use by Major League stars--and you have a recipe for trouble, say many health experts. Although smokeless tobacco is outlawed by the NFHS, NCAA, and minor league baseball, it is still used regularly by roughly one-third of all Major Leaguers, according to Harvard University professor Gregory Connolly.

At a hearing held by the House Energy and Commerce Committee in April, Connolly told Congress that rampant use by high-profile professional athletes contributes to the problem among young people. "The use of smokeless tobacco by players has a powerful role model effect on youth, particularly among young males in sport, some of whom ironically remain addicted in future careers as professional athletes," he said.

At the hearing, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman called on MLB to bar major leaguers from using smokeless tobacco during games. In his opening statement, Waxman said: "We don't let baseball players go stand out there in the field and drink beer. Major League Baseball won't allow them to step on the field and smoke cigarettes. So why should they be out there on the field--in sight of all their fans on television and at the ballpark--using smokeless tobacco?"

The MLB Players Association said it would be willing to discuss the proposed ban when it negotiates its next collective bargaining agreement with baseball's owners. The current agreement is set to expire in December of 2011.

One group that appreciates the recent spotlight on smokeless tobacco is Oral Health America, which established the National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP) in 1994 to reduce the use of chewing tobacco and help break baseball's connection with it. NSTEP produces educational materials, including posters, brochures, and videos. The program also has a speaker's bureau that makes appearances at schools and youth groups.

"We applaud the committee's attention to this serious health issue today, and maintain our ongoing commitment to providing educational outreach to young baseball and softball players throughout the country," Beth Truett, President and CEO of Oral Health America said in a press release.