Prevalence of spit tobacco use and health effects awareness in baseball coaches.

OBJECTIVES: To assess spit tobacco usage and knowledge of health effects in baseball coaches. METHODS: Participants (N = 509) were affiliated with the American Baseball Coaches Association and completed a Web-based survey. RESULTS: Data was ascertained in spit tobacco use, health effects, and possible intervention areas. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of use in respondents was 18.5 percent. The authors feel that the coaching profession is a fertile environment to decrease spit tobacco use in adolescents through positive role modeling and appropriate intervention techniques.