February 16, 2012   In 20 seasons, Tony Gwynn proved to be one of the most prolific hitters in baseball. Now he steps up to a much more formidable opponent—cancer. Gwynn has had four procedures to remove a cancerous tumor from the right side of his mouth. The Hall of Fame outfielder strongly believes that his tumors resulted from a lengthy history of smokeless tobacco use. Gwynn reportedly started while playing rookie ball to calm his nerves, but soon he became addicted. He claims to have used one and a half cans each day. Recently, to prohibit young baseball fans from starting to use tobacco, Major League Baseball and the players union agreed that players wouldn’t carry smokeless tobacco in their pockets when fans are present at the ballparks or use it during interviews or team functions. Many health organizations and several congressmen have pushed for a full ban.

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http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/16/smokeless-tobacco-may-have-led-to-gwynns-cancer/