San Francisco bans chewing tobacco at sports venues

San Francisco became the first city in the U.S. to ban smokeless tobacco at sports venues on Friday, CNN reports, although the restriction will not actually go into effect until January 1, 2016.

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy addressed the ban on the MLB team's website, noting that "it's going to be hard to enforce. It's such a tough habit to break."

Chewing tobacco has an especially strong connection to baseball; while it's banned in the minors, the unionized major league would have to collectively bargain such an update, the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea noted.

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The ordinance says those who violate the ban will be asked to leave games; how that would affect a professional player remains to be seen. The Giants' Madison Bumgarner told the Chronicle he won't stop dipping because of the ban, but that he will try to honor the restrictions at home games.