Once upon a time, tobacco was ingrained in the fabric of athletic culture. From iconic images of baseball players chewing tobacco in the dugout to the association of smoking with sophistication in certain sports, tobacco has been a pervasive presence. Formula One was the epitome of cool, with fast cars, beautiful women and huge characters in the cockpits – at one stage in the eighties, almost every car had a cigarette logo emblazoned on the side.
However, in recent years, this relationship has undergone a transformation, with a growing awareness of the detrimental health effects of tobacco. Smoking has gone from being seen as cool to being viewed as a dirty, destructive habit. Much of that change has been driven by sports – after all, smoking is still prevalent on-screen in films and in the world of music.
Here’s how the change has happened and how, as a sports fan, you can help yourself if you’re still chained to tobacco.
Historical Context
Tobacco and sports shared a symbiotic relationship for much of the 20th century. Tobacco companies often sponsored sporting events, and athletes were featured in advertisements promoting various tobacco products. In the fifties, the NFL signed Philip Morris’ Marlboro as its major television sponsor and permitted players to appear in tobacco adverts, and even into the eighties, Formula One racing was one big cigarette advertising mechanism.
Whilst smoking was also perceived as cool, athletes looking to build a brand were often seen smoking to help cement their persona as style icons. Indeed, smoking was considered a norm in sports culture, with many athletes using it to cope with stress or as a perceived performance enhancer.
The turning point in this relationship can be traced back to the surge in scientific research in the late seventies, highlighting the severe health risks associated with tobacco use. Athletes, always viewed as epitomes of health and fitness, began to distance themselves from tobacco to align with the emerging understanding of the importance of clean living. Sports figures started to embrace healthier lifestyles, becoming advocates for physical well-being and setting positive examples for their fans - today, the route to becoming a champion is very different from that of the seventies.
Changing minds
Starting in the late 1970s, on the back of tobacco research, endeavors were initiated to counteract the influence of tobacco sponsorship in American sports. In 1977, Doctors Ought to Care (DOC), a health promotion group comprised of physicians, took the initiative. They commenced a campaign by acquiring counter-advertising space in various cities, utilizing billboards, bus benches, newspapers, and both TV and radio platforms. Beyond that, the group extended its influence by sponsoring diverse sports entities, including a motorcycle racing team, drag cars, a racing sailboat, and even the US Boomerang Team.
Regulations and bans
In line with these changes on the field or track, governments and sports organizations worldwide have implemented stringent measures to combat tobacco use in sports. For instance, in 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) utilized authority granted by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA) and implemented a restriction on tobacco-brand sponsorship. This prohibition extended to the sponsorship of sports events prohibiting the use of tobacco brand names or any elements associated with cigarette or smokeless tobacco brands.
State by state, smoking bans are being enforced in stadiums and arenas, whether as part of a wider ban on smoking in public places or, in some instances, regulations aimed at specific venues. Currently, 24 MLB stadiums prohibit smoking, whilst of the 30 NFL stadiums, 26 have bans in place. Often, these bans include all tobacco products and even some alternatives, such as vaping.
What it means for you
As a sports fan, this could be bad news if you’re a smoker. Indeed, whilst smoking rates have reduced, research suggests there are still 28.3 million smokers in the United States, around 11.5% of the population. If you’re one of them, it could make your trip to watch your local sports team a challenge.
There have been huge steps in developing tobacco-free alternatives to help with cessation. These often come in the form of a nicotine derivative, delivered in several different ways. One of the most popular methods in the United States today is the nicotine pouch, a flexible and discreet alternative. These are small pouches that fit between the lip and gum, dispensing nicotine over the course of half an hour or so. As demonstrated by the nicotine pouches available on Prilla, they come in a range of flavors, such as citrus or wintergreen, and different strengths to alleviate symptoms for the heaviest of smokers.
Nicotine patches by the likes of NiQuitin are another alternative - they fix to the skin and deliver a hit of nicotine over a period of time. They are suitable for athletes, should they be needed, as they last for up to 24 hours and even come clear, so they can’t be seen on the skin.
Conclusion
Sports and tobacco have a chequered history, with early sports leagues happy to take tobacco money to develop. As we move deep into the 21st century, that association is long gone, and for athletes and spectators, sports and tobacco are no longer bedfellows.
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