FDA Finalizing New Regulations

[Mr. McSquirelly]

I don't mean to rile everyone up here. But I was just wondering if anyone knows anything about these new Federal regulations for premium cigars. It looks like a decision is coming soon. From my understanding of it, there are two options: The first would keep everything the same, but the second would require all new brands after February 15, 2007 to apply for FDA approval. That would in essence make all the brands marketed in U.S. after that date illegal until approval, essentially wiping out the current industry. Here's the most recent article I could find on it:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/28/james-bovard-fda-cigar-ban-proposal-a-government-r/

Hoping there's someone who's close to this and has some answers. It's a little alarming.

 

[Cigary43]

You can swing a dead cat around and hit a number of articles that talk about what the ramifications are with cigars and regulations. The sad truth is that they are going to tax the living shyte out of tobacco which is going to render the product as an endangered species of sorts. What they haven't as yet done go after the cigarillos as they are still pretty cheap to purchase but when you love premium cigars cigarillos just aren't going to fill the bill. The anti smoking lobby has pretty much destroyed the Cigar Industry as far as their future plans are concerned and using taxes as a form of leverage to control the industry is going to be the final straw. We have a short window of opportunity here in the next year or so to accumulate what we like and after that window is closed you will literally pay through the nose for what we used to pay....we'll have to be creative in how we purchase cigars from other countries who won't be as aggressive in terms of taxes...that means while we travel we will pick up boxes of what we like and return home with them but that doesn't mean that other countries won't see this as a sign to ramp up their pricing to cash in on their opportunity to make more money either.

 

[KGD]

Having worked on capitol hill, I can assure you there are enough casual, social and regular cigar smokers as members of congress - on both sides - but especially on the republican side, including the speaker of the house. Don't expect the legislation to pass.

 

[CSG123]

Doesn't sound like congress has any say in it. And based on their lack of involvement to stop these sorts of agency regulations the past 6 years, I have zero confidence in their likelihood of stopping it.

 

[Cigary43]

Having worked on capitol hill, I can assure you there are enough casual, social and regular cigar smokers as members of congress - on both sides - but especially on the republican side, including the speaker of the house. Don't expect the legislation to pass.

Would love to hear some stories about those whacky people on the Hill. Lobbyists tend to promote agendas on how our Reps vote regardless of what their own opinion is...money is the motivator and re-election is their goal and a cigar is just a cigar to smoke at the Victory dinners. While I sincerely hope you are right the handwriting on the wall says otherwise because anti tobacco is on fire and those who don't get onboard with this will be marked as a tobacco sympathizer and not get support in the form of $$$$. What one does in private has nothing to do with how they vote....votes are bought and sold and our Reps tend to vote their wallets...much like Voters do.

 

[Mr. McSquirelly]

The guys at Halfwheel have done a really nice interactive piece on this story. It sounds like a final decision will come before the summer break and things will take effect in the fall. Let's just hope the decision goes our way. Not that it matters, but I just wrote a really angry email to the FDA about this. F-king bastards. If you can't draw the line between keeping cigarettes out of the hands of children and allowing hard-working taxpayers to enjoy premium cigars, then why do you have a job?

http://halfwheel.com/fda