If your youngster is adamant that smokeless tobacco is necessary to improve his or her baseball game, you now have evidence to dispel that myth.

According to a study published in the August, 1995 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), major league baseball players who use smokeless tobacco don't hit, pitch, or field any better than players who abstain from using it.

Although some baseball players believe the use of smokeless tobacco improves their ability to relax, concentrate, remain alert and improve their athletic performance, these researches found such beliefs are unfounded.

Researches involved in this study followed performance of players on seven major league baseball teams during the 1988 season. They found that there is not a connection between smokeless tobacco and performance.

The mean batting average for players who did not use smokeless tobacco was .248 while users hit for an average of .238. Likewise, non-smokeless tobacco players had a higher average fielding percentage (.978) than players who used smokeless tobacco (.968).

Similar results were found on the mound. Pitchers who used smokeless tobacco had earned run averages (ERA) of 4.11 runs per nine innings while non-users compiled ERAs of 4.20.

The researches found that using smokeless did not improve players' chances of making a major league roster in spring training. But more importantly, they also found that players who smokeless tobacco are at a higher risk for mouth sores and oral cancer. They are also more likely to have precancerous lesions, tooth wear and gum recession than non-users.