D.C. group says cigar deregulation would free teen favorites from scrutiny
The D.C.-based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is putting out word that a majority of U.S. House members from Georgia, as well as U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, are backing a quiet effort to remove premium, hand-rolled cigars from federal regulation – a move that could include sweet, fruit-flavored ones favored by teenagers.
Among the products that Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says would be freed from deregulation.
U.S. Reps. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah; Phil Gingrey, R-Marietta; Sanford Bishop, D-Albany; Tom Graves, R-Ranger; Lynn Westmoreland, R-Coweta County; Austin Scott, R-Tifton; and John Barrow, D-Augusta, are all sponsors of H.R. 1639, also known as the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011.
Chambliss is backing similar legislation on the Senate side.
From the memo sent out by Marie Cocco, spokeswoman for the anti-tobacco group:
The House bill (H.R. 1639) would exempt from regulation “traditional large and premium cigars,” which it defines as any roll of tobacco that is wrapped in leaf tobacco, has no filter and weighs at least six pounds per 1,000 units. Most premium cigars weigh far more than six pounds per 1,000 units, raising questions about the real impact of the legislation. In fact, many cheap, flavored cigars also appear to meet this definition and could be excluded from regulation. These include some of the most popular cigar brands among youth.
Products that weigh more than six pounds per 1,000 cigars and could claim to be exempted include Swisher Sweets blunts and cigarillos, 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.
My question: Who, aside from SpongeBob SquarePants, would want to be seen smoking a grape-flavored cigar?
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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19 comments Add your comment
yellowdog.
June 11th, 2012
3:31 pm
I cant even figure out what it all means anyway…..and, BTW, Go Yankees!
Jeff A. Taylor
June 11th, 2012
3:31 pm
Jim, I moved to the ATL about year ago and since then I’ve been waiting for you to learn to link. Either that or have and intern that knows how to do it.
Trust me, it is embarrassing in AD2012 to not link to your primary sources every single time. Perhaps whomever does your art tagging can also supply links.
I’m 47 and feel like I’m reading microfilm when I land here. And if some dopey editor thinks linking loses eyeballs — snuff out their whale oil lamp and tell them to go home. Via horse and buggy I must assume.
Eric
June 11th, 2012
3:32 pm
“and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011″? Talk about blowing smoke up our @$$!
CobbGOPer
June 11th, 2012
3:39 pm
Yeah, the kids aren’t actually smoking the flavored ‘cigar’ per se. They remove the tobacco from the wrapper, fill it up with a different kind of tobacco (the ‘wacky’ kind if you catch my meaning), and then smoke it…
Wow
June 11th, 2012
3:39 pm
These cigars are popular amongs teenagers because teenagers use the cigars to smoke marijuana after they take out most or all of the tobacco.
CobbGOPer
June 11th, 2012
3:41 pm
And that’s why these ‘cigars’ are so popular with the 12-17 year old crowd.
MzLady
June 11th, 2012
3:43 pm
Um…someone might need to delve a little deeper into what these products are most often used for by teens. Remember the CDC study that came out about teen “smoking” habits last week? Well, that’s a hint. That considered, I have NO idea what the true intention of this legislation could be. I just don’t get it. Slap “job preservation” on any bill and folks will support it these days I guess.
Ga Values
June 11th, 2012
3:46 pm
Always a paying LOBBYIST behind Saxby.. Money talks
Don't Tread
June 11th, 2012
4:09 pm
“My question: Who, aside from SpongeBob SquarePants, would want to be seen smoking a grape-flavored cigar?”
I see the pants-on-the-ground crowd smoking the flavored cigars all the time.
Bill Spann
June 11th, 2012
4:14 pm
“D.C. group says cigar deregulation would free teen favorites from scrutiny,” is completely misleading and advocates job killing regulation.
More than 2000 professional tobacconists of our association who sell premium cigars strongly disagree with the comments made by the “D.C. group” in your column. The bills before Congress would exempt only traditional premium cigars, which are not marketed to, desired by, or affordable to underage youth. The small, flavored cigars mentioned by the “D.C. Group” and which are popular with underage youth would still be under FDA regulation. The new bills would prevent the FDA from regulating only one type of cigars: premium. Premium cigar smokers are adults who only smoke 1-2 cigars per week. Their enjoyment is celebratory, not an addiction. The average price for a premium cigar is $8, and all cigars are not the same. Recent tax laws have enabled some cigarettes to now be classified as cigars and those would still be under FDA regulation. Premium cigars are different – and more than 200 members of Congress agree. These bills preserve 85,000 American jobs and address underage smoking.
Bill Spann
Chief Executive Officer
International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association
Commander, United States Navy (retired)
(shaking my head in in disgust) Kris
June 11th, 2012
4:20 pm
What kind of DR was Gingrey never mind he was a QUACK, as for suxby and graves just padding their pockets for unemployment in November.
OBAMA 2012 (shaking my head in disgust)
honested
June 11th, 2012
4:29 pm
Bill Spann,
As a fan of true ‘premium cigars’, I understand.
Also, as a Georgian who has been suffering under saxby’s ‘Senator For Hire Program’ for several years, I am quite skeptical all the same.
Eric
June 11th, 2012
4:36 pm
Commander Bill: I’m one of your constituents. I smoke the $8 Cigar once or twice a week, am a small business owner (the ultimate small business, a solo law firm) and pay my taxes every year. But call a spade a spade, Commander. Small Business Preservation Act of 2011. Give me a break. Our side does it, too. But don’t pi$$ on my leg and tell me it’s raining. You and the Georgia Congressmen supporting this thing look silly with that title. Next thing you know, you’ll be creating another whole level of government called the Homeland Security Department, which is charged with the same task as the Dept. of Defense, all the while claiming to be for less Government. Oh, wait…..
Aquagirl
June 11th, 2012
4:42 pm
The bills before Congress would exempt only traditional premium cigars
Trust me, Mr. Spann…if a FDA exempt category is created, you can bet your bippy every cigar manufacturer will make sure their product is a “traditional premium cigar” that’s only celebratory and non-addictive. And y’all invented non-addictive tobacco? Where have we heard that before?
I’m not the only one who disagrees with Mr. Spann’s rah-rah JOBS! post. The American Heart Association also disagrees, as do the American Lung Association, Americam Academy of Pediatrics, American Dental Association, The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners……I could go on, but I think everyone gets the picture. There’s a lot of people who don’t rest easy with an industry’s assurance “it’ll allllllll be fine, really. And did we mention JOBS?”
http://www.prevent.org/data/images/rebuttal%20letter%20to%20ipcpra%20final%20with%20logos.pdf
Marlboro Man
June 11th, 2012
4:53 pm
Smoke discrimination.
Kris
June 11th, 2012
4:57 pm
I prey that Cuban cigars are also legalized. and saxby will loan me a $100 bill to light it with just like he does with all the lobbyist dollars he gets.
Lighting a stogie for this one | Gnat Line Politics and Apologetics
June 11th, 2012
10:54 pm
[...] The AJC’s Jim Galloway brings us the following news: U.S. Reps. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah; Phil Gingrey, R-Marietta; Sanford Bishop, D-Albany; Tom Graves, R-Ranger; Lynn Westmoreland, R-Coweta County; Austin Scott, R-Tifton; and John Barrow, D-Augusta, are all sponsors of H.R. 1639, also known as the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011. [...]
Aaron Burr V Mexico
June 12th, 2012
2:35 am
Ah Zaxby Chicken….supporting giving cigars to kids….but hey….less government is good government right?
And you can BET that all the conservatives of this state are gonna reelected ole Zaxby Chicken.
By a landslide.
Eli
June 12th, 2012
2:57 pm
since when are swisher sweets premium cigars? They hardly pass as sh!t.
Only in the GOP would medical doctors support tobacco companies. Hypocrites (get it! because they took the hippocratic oath).
Where do they get off calling this a jobs preservation act? Consumption of tobacco, drugs, alcohol, and prostitutes are the few things that have proven recession and regulation proof.
This has nothing to do with jobs (because, face it, republicans want high unemployment) and everything to do with fulfilling their promises to America’s most prolific mass-murderer: Big Tobacco.