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FDA regulation

Cigar Wars: A Case for Regulating Cigars

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Marshall C. Deason – American Lung Association

In the past few weeks, FineTobaccoNYC has been continuing our “Cigar Wars” series, centered on the fight over regulation of the premium cigar industry. We’ve posted quite a few articles from the perspective of the industry, particularly small businesses.

Recently, though, I’ve been reading articles presenting the other side of the issue, and I want to share one that I think presents a pretty good argument for the other side. In “Why protect cigars that are aimed at children?”, Marshall C. Deason of the American Lung Association presents his case for FDA regulation of cigars. I’d encourage you to click on the link and take a read.

For those of you don’t click the link, the most potent argument he makes (in my opinion), is that, if cigars are exempted from FDA oversight, tobacco companies will change their business strategy to market and sell more flavored cigars to children. He notes that products like cigarillos and Swisher Sweets would be exempted as well under the proposed exemption rules.  Deason writes,

“Products that could claim to be exempted include Swisher Sweets blunts and cigarillos, which are available in flavors such as chocolate, strawberry, grape and peach, and Phillies cigarillos, which come in flavors including watermelon, sour apple, mango, banana and coconut. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health show that Phillies and Swisher Sweets are among the most popular cigar brands among youth age 12-17.”

I’d be curious to know if our readers find Deason’s arguments compelling. What do you think?

Cigar Wars: Proposed rules roil cigar industry

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photo courtesy The Tampa Tribune

As popular and Congressional pressure mounts on the FDA to exclude premium cigars from its tobacco regulations, more articles from around the country are centering on the difficulties that FDA regulations pose for local brick and mortar tobacconists.

The latest of these articles comes from Tampa, FL, where regulations would hit particularly hard. In “Proposed rules roil cigar industry,” (June 25th) Jose Patino Girona of The Tampa Tribune interviewed B&M owner Alfred Moreno, as well as a few patrons, on their view of the proposed regulations. Most notable, probably, is Moreno’s lament that the regulations, especially banning the walk in humidor, would severely cripple a family industry.

“This is our heritage,” Moreno said. “You’re taking a national heritage if you restrict us.”

Click here to read the full story.

What do you think of the proposed regulations? Are they going too far, or just bringing American tobacco policy into the 21st century?