The new S.F. ordinance that "bans the use of smokeless tobacco in all athletic facilities within the city" will be under the spotlight tonight when the Giants play the A's in an exhibition game at AT&T Park, but it "isn't yet clear" how and by whom it will be enforced, according to a front-page piece by Baggarly & Almond of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Giants C Buster Posey said, "You want to be a good example for children, and we are role models. There's a responsibility there. But at the same time, if they're telling adults they can or cannot use tobacco products, what's next?" Baggarly & Almond report an anonymous survey of 25 Giants players "found that Posey's position was overwhelmingly common." While most of the players "will comply with the ordinance, they don't agree with it." Two players "responded that they would not comply with the law," but just three players out of 25 "expressed support for it." The push to pass the ordinances "began with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which chose high-profile baseball cities in its effort to get local and state governments to act" after the MLBPA "wouldn't accept a complete ban during negotiations as part of the last labor agreement with the league five years ago." S.F. was targeted because the Giants "just won the World Series when the campaign began." Offenders in S.F. "can be fined up to $100 for a first offense, and up to $250 for a second violation." Those caught breaking the law "more than twice within a calendar year risk being fined up to $500." But S.F. Legislative Aide Jess Montejano said that the penalties "are secondary to educating the public and players about the ban, which applies to all city athletic fields." The Giants "plan to post signs at entrances and exits at AT&T Park to explain the new law, which will also apply to patrons." Enforcement is "more than likely to fall on managers and team personnel as a pre-emptive strike against police intervention" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 3/31).
