FDA Regulation?

[njstone]

So I'd like to have an honest, and if possible anger-free, discussion on what it would mean if the FDA succeeds (as seems likely now) in gaining full regulatory control over the premium cigar industry.

We've all heard the horror stories and worst-case scenarios. i've read that some officials claim that premium cigars won't be effected at all (which I personally don't believe).

So what are the facts? What would this mean for our ability to buy cigars? Buy online? etc.

 

[CigarGavin]

http://reason.com/blog/2011/12/09/fda-regulation-could-doom-cigar-shops

Excerpt:

New taxes—or "user fees," in FDA lingo—would reach every corner of the cigar world, [International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers CEO Bill] Spann said, from giant online retailers to small-batch importers and neighborhood shops.

Beyond that, Spann warned, customers wouldn’t be permitted to touch or smell cigars. There would be no walk-in humidors and no cigars flavored with cognac or bourbon. The FDA could stop the sale of new cigar blends until manufacturers submit them to the government for testing and analysis.

And cigar boxes—and perhaps even individual cellophane wrappers—could be subject to the same graphic warning labels scheduled to be required on cigarette packs in September 2012....

Shami Walia, an Indian-American who opened Burke Cigar in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. four years ago, doesn't hold out hope that shops like his would survive that level of government control.

"A lot of shops—all small businesses—would just not be able to handle it,” Walia told TheDC. "They’ll probably shut down…You won't be able to keep your doors open."

Ive been looking at this article since December, and praying that it doesn't pass.

 

[Alwayslit]

I really hope this doesn't happen.

 

[Nathan]

It will be interesting to see the fallout from all this.

 

[GoingPostal]

FDA just wants a piece of the tobacco money. The big question is yes the regulation will give the FDA the power to do away with walk-in and require new blends to be submitted but will they implement them is the question.

The only B&M's that will survive will be those that can pay the "shake down" money to keep the walk in. for example they'll go into drapers and say hey we can grandfather your walk-in but it will be $20,000 a year. How about "JD you don't have to submit that new liga blend if you donate $10,000 to our anti-tobacco PSA fund. Have no proof that this is what will happen but why would the govt change it's MO.

I hope that the bill is defeated but my hope is that if they do implement all the drastic measures that the huge loss of revenue for the states and Fed will force them to repeal it

 

[Tobacco Giant]

So I'd like to have an honest, and if possible anger-free, discussion on what it would mean if the FDA succeeds (as seems likely now) in gaining full regulatory control over the premium cigar industry.

We've all heard the horror stories and worst-case scenarios. i've read that some officials claim that premium cigars won't be effected at all (which I personally don't believe).

So what are the facts? What would this mean for our ability to buy cigars? Buy online? etc.

I've only been following what I've read on these boards, why do you say it seems likely they'll succeed?

Wouldn't this bill need to pass the senate and the house? I can't see a republican controlled house passing this bill, although I haven't looked at each of the 435 members stance on the issue.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

I've only been following what I've read on these boards, why do you say it seems likely they'll succeed?

Wouldn't this bill need to pass the senate and the house? I can't see a republican controlled house passing this bill, although I haven't looked at each of the 435 members stance on the issue.

The Senate action, which is what took place last week, had FDA regulation in a very large appropriations bill, the FY13 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration; and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. It passed the Appropriations Committee 28-1.

 

[Tiburon]

It what's done. When a small interest wants a bill passed, they add it as a part of a large bill where it gets completely lost.

Take UIGEA for Poker. It passed as a part of the Port Security Act. What Congressman that wants his job would vote against that after 9/11?

 

[SSimp]

Has the government stuck their nose into anything without f'kn it up? Actually, I shouldn't put it that way because without medicine being tested we'd probably be dead by now but nothing good will happen if the FDA gets ahold of our cigars.

 

[Cigar Cowboy]

BIG government or FREEDOM...you can't have both.

 

[Le Buzz]

Why aren't there lobbyists preventing crap like this? I mean, there are lobbyists for everything else?

Not advocating the lobbyist culture in our country, but c'mon.

 

[CRA Glynn]

There are, indeed, a fleet of lobbyists working on this. Cigar Rights of America is working with IPCPR executing a comprehensive campaign to prevent FDA regulation of cigars. The FDA has posted their intent to regulate cigars four times in the Federal Register. The scenarios for regulation are all over the board. The possibilities noted are just that...possibilities. But we do believe FDA is full of staff that want nothing short of tobacco prohibition. The bill which got out of committee has a long way to go, and HR 1639 and S 1461 are the ticket to protect this industry. We now have 177 sponsors in the House, and seven in the Senate. True progress is being made. The Congresional and White House petitions have had a great impact, but we have a long way to go.

 

[ciggy]

This will truly be a sad day if this bill passes. The cost for a pack of cigarettes is less than one good cigar. Where already paying alot as it is and most B&M are eating the tax hikes. I can't imagine not having a humidor to walk into or being able to inspect the cigar I'm willing to pay money for.
We can only hope and pray this doesn't go through. If you haven't signed the petition please do so here...
http://capwiz.com/cigarrights/issues/alert/?alertid=54019671&type=CO

 

[Matt Z]

HR1639 has hit CRITICAL IMPORTANCE! Monday is the dead line, if we don't get the 218 votes in congress the FDA takes over cigars the end of JULY!!! Please take the 30 seconds out of your life to fill out the petition here http://capwiz.com/cigarrights/issues/alert/?alertid=54019671&type=CO then spend the next 30 seconds sharing it so that everyone else can see it... this couldn't be more important or more real.... Seriously is 1 min of your time worth losing cigars over? Do your part, Every name counts!

 

[Gravity]

Done, now how about you guys put some f'ing focus on Washington state AS WELL, CRA!

Just got another one of your worthless update e-mails that had a lot of CRAP about California and everything east of the Mississippi, yet no mention what so ever of the trials we are going through in Washington state with our loss of rights! I get plenty of e-mails about spending money in your damn store, but never a single acknowledgement of how bad it has gotten here! We can't even smoke in our own B&M's, and now we are about to lose the right to smoke in an f'ing park! Yet, I hear about a percentage increase in taxes in California left and right. Who cares about taxes if we aren't even allowed to enjoy the cigars themselves!

The above is why I won't be renewing my membership, I'm tired of sponsoring other rights for everywhere but where I live.




(No offense to the guys on here outside of Washington, you know I love you guys! )

 

[BMack]

It amazes me how many ways our government manages to screw up the economy, hopefully this one won't get through so one of the few industries that manages to have a lot of B&M stores stays alive.

 

[SDShark]

Well enough can never be left alone! I am hoping it doesn't come to this...

What's next? Coca-Cola cans to read, "WARNING: CONSUMING THIS MAY RAISE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR." ...?

Not angry, just disappointed...

 

[BMack]

Well enough can never be left alone! I am hoping it doesn't come to this...

What's next? Coca-Cola cans to read, "WARNING: CONSUMING THIS MAY RAISE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR." ...?

Not angry, just disappointed...

That's one of the things that annoys me... There are all these shock ads on tv, no matter the time of the day, for anti-smoking. Yet tobacco smoking numbers are down, deaths are down, my generation(20somethings) tend to already look down on smoking...What's the biggest killer in America? Heart disease. You don't see diabetic amputations on tv with the person talking about how much McDonalds they ate and Cokes they drank during their life. You can say anything about tobacco and it's ok because you know, every cigar smoker will die from cancer. Odd how soo many cigar families have such long-living relatives. My great grandmother(cigar roller/smoker) outlived my grandfather(non-smoker) by decades.

 

[Cigary43]

Who'd have thought years ago that what's happening now was really going to happen? I don't see good things for the cigar industry when the Feds get a toehold in it...as we all know the Feds can't regulate a potty break let alone health care/cigars/education/defense...et al. One of the reason I keep buying like I do is because of the future...they are going to regulate it as the snowball just keeps on rollin. Just look what they've done with the cigarette industry...ya really think they are going to just roll over and play dead with cigars?