Online cigars sales.....in jeopardy, or not?
KingoftheCove
Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 908
I'm being lazy, and hope a few of the botl who are following this can give me a quick-n-dirty on this issue.
Is there a threat to online cigar sales as we know and enjoy it now?
If so, and online sales are banned, or whatever........ will we know ahead of time so we can "stock up"?
(I like B&Ms, but, around here at least, their prices are simply brutal, and I can't afford to buy from them for the most part.)
Is there a threat to online cigar sales as we know and enjoy it now?
If so, and online sales are banned, or whatever........ will we know ahead of time so we can "stock up"?
(I like B&Ms, but, around here at least, their prices are simply brutal, and I can't afford to buy from them for the most part.)
Comments
If you read this Alex we'd love to get your take on it. Is it as dire as it sounds? Would really hate to lose CCOM.
Check it out here.
He says that the "Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act exempts premium cigars from FDA regulation"
But then at the end he says "FDA determines the treatment of premium cigars under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act"
So cigars exempted from FDA regulation in one act but can be regulated by the FDA through a different act?!?!???
Maybe I'm missing something or my brain's just not working today...but does anyone else understand this? I'm lost....
Dear Michael,
Thank you for contacting me about the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011 (S. 1461). I appreciate hearing from you.
In July 2009, President Obama signed into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act (Public Law 111-31), which gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate premium cigars and other tobacco products. As you may know, on August 1, 2011, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced S. 1461, of which I am a cosponsor. Among its provisions, this measure would exempt traditional large and premium cigars from the FDA's regulatory powers. As someone who believes in limited government, I understand your views about this legislation and value your input. S. 1461 is currently pending before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for review. While I am not a member of this panel, please be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind as this measure continues through the legislative process.
Thank you again for your correspondence. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Pat Toomey U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania
Also, I got an e-mail response from the other state Senator and my House Representative but unfortunately none of them outright said they would support the Act.
Guard your freedoms jealously, guys. Your freedoms are the enemy of the soft totalitarianism of the nanny state.
its for the good of our health!!
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
See the draft of the message below and thanks in advance for your comments!
Dear Senator Brown,
Thank you for taking the time to read my e-mail and for responding in a timely fashion. I apologize for my delayed reply as I was out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday.
First off, I would like to address the health issues you brought up. I would like to ask where, specifically, did you find the information that "One out of every six Ohio Medicaid dollars goes toward treatment of tobacco-related diseases, effectively imposing an annual tax of over $500 on every Ohio household"? I searched the Ohio Dept. of Health and Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services websites and could not find anything showing the breakdown of how Medicaid dollars are spent. Could you please point me to a specific source where I could read the entire breakdown of how Medicaid dollars are spent. While one out of every six dollars (16%) seems like a lot to spend on tobacco-related issues, I would like to know how the other 84% of Medicaid dollars are spent and after seeing the breakdown I would be in a better position to comment on this. Perhaps there's something in that other 84% of spending that poses a bigger threat to public health than cigars do.
Also, while I understand your concern for public health issues, there must be a better way to improve public health than regulating cigars and allowing the FDA to destroy citizens' rights. I understand that smoking cigars can have adverse effects on my health, but I still choose to smoke cigars and I do so in moderation. I think that moderation, not regulation is the best way to improve public health. Too much of anything can have negative health effects but does that mean the government should be allowed to regulate or ban everything that's bad for public health? For example, eating too much processed/fast food can cause obesity or sitting at an office chair for too long can cause back and joint problems but do you think the government should have the power to regulate or eliminate these activities too?
Secondly, I'd like to address the economic impacts of further cigar regulations/bans. I believe that any FDA regulation would undoubtedly hurt small businesses not only in Ohio but throughout the entire nation. Certainly the most visible sign to consumers would be the closing of local cigar shops which would be forced out of business if they could no longer sell or market these products. Since cigars are such a niche product, there's not any complementary items these stores could offer for sale and that's why they would be forced to closed. Also, the economic impact would be felt far beyond these local shops, other areas that would experience economic losses would be; tobacco farmers, cigar manufacturers, tobacco magazine/book publishers, cigar accessory manufacturers including woodworkers who create humidors, lighter and cutter manufacturers, and other ancillary businesses. Certainly in this time of economic hardship and rampant unemployment, you would not want to put anyone at risk of losing a job due to government regulations?
I look forward to hearing from you and again urge your support Senate Bill 1461 which would exempt cigars from FDA regulation.
and HERE is some more in depth about it.
i would take out the part about fast food being unhealthy because they will then take that as you want them to regulate fast food.
People own their bodies. they have every right to treat themselves however they feel so long as it does not violate the rights of others. this includes the right to enjoy a cigar.
Dear Mr. Padgett: Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding S. 1461, the "Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011." It is good to hear from you, and I appreciate you letting me know your thoughts.
S. 1461 was introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2011, and was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for further review. If enacted, this legislation would exempt traditional large and premium cigars from regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It would also waive user fees enforced by the FDA on tobacco products that are wrapped only in leaf tobacco, contain no filter, and weigh at least 6 pounds per 1,000 count. Should this legislation come before the full Senate, I will keep your thoughts and views in mind.
Sounds alot like an AIM bot
I am an Active duty Marine with 4 deployments to a war torn countries and 5 total deployments. After all the work and effort that I have given, the sacrifices that I've made, leaving my wife and kids year after year, fighting for a democracy that gives you a job...how can I be told that I can not purchase a cigar online or start my own cigar buisness? I did fight for freedom...right? What am I fighting for? For someone else to tell me what I can and can't do? Its bills like this, that makes me think the government that I fight for, is out of control and maybe too much democracy is a bad thing. This bill is outrageous. The National Anthem says "the Land of the Free" but this bill will put countless American shop owners out of business. How are they free when they are shut down by the government? They are the epitome of what I fight for. The small shop owner who has worked to build thier fortune. I fight for the immigrant who wants to build a future for his family. Irish, Chinese, Russian, Mexican, Arabic...what ever...I fight for the dream of being an American, but I am restricted by my own government that I fight for. I understand the age limit on drinking and smoking but how can I be told in the land of the free...that I fight for...that I can not have something if I can pay for. I can fight for this country but I could not open a cigar shop. I can fight for this country but I could not buy a cigar online. Thoughts like this make me feel used and unappreciated by my own government. Why should I fight to defend that government. I continue to fight for someone else's dream of becoming an American and the government is the parasite that feeds of my efforts.
I am all about anyone building thier own dream. If a man wants to work, he should be able to do anything he can with out restriction and paid for an honest days worth of work. If a man has money and its not harming anyone else, let him pay for what he wants. If he wants to own machine gun, let him...as long as he pays for it and can pass a felony background check(California has already got me on this one!).
I can't stand to be told that I can't do something, just because they say so.
And well stated, hopefully your note will grab their attention.
And you're right, I better not give him any more ideas, next thing you know they'll be regulating McDonalds and Wendys......idiots.
i sent out a few emails and im working on hard copies. i have heard nothing back from any of the elected officials i have emailed. that isnt much of a surprise.