Two anti-smoking doctors groups said Saturday they will monitor the smoking habits of professional baseball players and how the 12 professional teams are supervising their underage players.
Doctors from the two groups -- the Japan Society for Tobacco Control and Japan Medical-Dental Association for Tobacco Control -- said they will send questionnaires to all the 12 pro baseball teams and ask about the smoking habits of the players.
Baseball players who smoke are a bad influence on baseball-loving children, the doctors said.
The two groups were holding a two-day public symposium on smoking. The decision to conduct a survey came after the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters' top draft pick, 18-year-old Yu Darvish, reportedly smoked during the team's minor league spring training.