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FDA's Tobacco Legislation

whylieineedacigar

Yolalatlpwry
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
1,839
Kid Montana said:
I think premium should mean, "100% hand made."
 
Me too, setting a minimum price for a cigar to be considered "premium" will gladly force cigar companies to over price their cigars in order to meet that criteria. 
 
Copy pasted from Famous Smoke's Facebook page yesterday.
 
Regulation has arrived…today, the FDA has posted their deeming rules regarding cigars; and it’s not without a surprise: they're considering TWO options for cigar regulation:
 
Option 1 would be for the FDA to regulate ALL cigars – premium, machine made, etc – as THE SAME kind of product. We don’t want that to happen.
Option 2 would make a NEW DEFINITION for “covered cigars,” under which the FDA would consider premium cigars.
 
What does "Option 2" mean?

Option 2 would make a NEW DEFINITION for “covered cigars,” under which the FDA would consider premium cigars – and define them as:

(1) wrapped in whole tobacco leaf;
(2) contains a 100 percent leaf tobacco binder;
(3) contains primarily long filler tobacco;
(4) made by combining manually the wrapper, filler, and binder;
(5) has no filter, tip, or non-tobacco mouthpiece and is capped by hand;
(6) has a retail price (after any discounts or coupons) of no less than $10 per cigar; [NOTE: this criterion is NOT critical to defining a premium cigar – we must let them know by commenting that this must be struck from the definition!]
(7) does not have a characterizing flavor other than tobacco; and
(8) weighs more than 6 pounds per 1000 units.
 
The FDA will be looking to YOU to help them answer some questions, and are open for public comment – including supporting facts and evidence - on whether or not you agree with their proposed rules. Details on that shortly...

Read more here - http://www.famous-smoke.com/smokers-rights/index.html
 
Make your official comments here - http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=FDA-2014-N-0189
 
Bumping to help spur some discussion...
 
I'm trying to write some commentary for the FDA that is more useful than the "you pencil-neck bureaucrats and nanny do-gooders have no right to mess with what I stock in my humidor," that I WANT to tell them.  Unfortunately the ideas aren't flowing and I'm really struggling with it.  Would any of you care to share what you've submitted?  Possibly with regards to the somewhat arbitrary $10 price point under option 2, part 6?
 
Barry, I submitted many times with different wording but basically the same point. Here is one I used from Thompson Cigar
 
"As an adult who enjoys premium cigars I support FDA’s proposal that premium cigars be exempted from FDA regulation. I agree with much of FDA’s proposed definition of premium cigars. However, FDA should not include a $10 minimum price requirement. In my opinion, FDA has no role in setting prices for products it regulates. In addition, a $10 dividing line is arbitrary in defining the high-quality cigars that I enjoy. Price does not dictate whether or not a cigar is in fact
premium. Premium cigars come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and prices. A $10 minimum price could result in many of the premium cigars I enjoy no longer being available, or being sold at an increased price. It would restrict my product choice while not addressing FDA’s public health goals. Therefore, I strongly believe that FDA should remove the $10 minimum price requirement from the definition of a premium cigar. Thank you for your time and consideration."
 
Edited to add direct link where you can add your comment:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=FDA-2014-N-0189-0001
 
To me, the basic distinction is between 100% hand made versus machine made, especially when considering machine madecigarillos being marketed as unregulated and cheaper cigarette replacements. Hand made cigars are generally not inhalable which makes them distinct from cigarettes as a nicotene delivery vector.

Too bad Ginseng is no longer with us.
 
whylieineedacigar said:
Barry, I submitted many times with different wording but basically the same point. Here is one I used from Thompson Cigar
 
"As an adult who enjoys premium cigars I support FDA’s proposal that premium cigars be exempted from FDA regulation. I agree with much of FDA’s proposed definition of premium cigars. However, FDA should not include a $10 minimum price requirement. In my opinion, FDA has no role in setting prices for products it regulates. In addition, a $10 dividing line is arbitrary in defining the high-quality cigars that I enjoy. Price does not dictate whether or not a cigar is in fact
premium. Premium cigars come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and prices. A $10 minimum price could result in many of the premium cigars I enjoy no longer being available, or being sold at an increased price. It would restrict my product choice while not addressing FDA’s public health goals. Therefore, I strongly believe that FDA should remove the $10 minimum price requirement from the definition of a premium cigar. Thank you for your time and consideration."
 
Edited to add direct link where you can add your comment:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=FDA-2014-N-0189-0001
 
Michael, that's exactly what I was looking for.  Edited slightly and submitted.  Thanks!
 
Juanote said:
To me, the basic distinction is between 100% hand made versus machine made, especially when considering machine madecigarillos being marketed as unregulated and cheaper cigarette replacements. Hand made cigars are generally not inhalable which makes them distinct from cigarettes as a nicotene delivery vector.

Too bad Ginseng is no longer with us.
I agree with you.
 
mjolnir01 said:
 
Barry, I submitted many times with different wording but basically the same point. Here is one I used from Thompson Cigar
 
"As an adult who enjoys premium cigars I support FDA’s proposal that premium cigars be exempted from FDA regulation. I agree with much of FDA’s proposed definition of premium cigars. However, FDA should not include a $10 minimum price requirement. In my opinion, FDA has no role in setting prices for products it regulates. In addition, a $10 dividing line is arbitrary in defining the high-quality cigars that I enjoy. Price does not dictate whether or not a cigar is in fact
premium. Premium cigars come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and prices. A $10 minimum price could result in many of the premium cigars I enjoy no longer being available, or being sold at an increased price. It would restrict my product choice while not addressing FDA’s public health goals. Therefore, I strongly believe that FDA should remove the $10 minimum price requirement from the definition of a premium cigar. Thank you for your time and consideration."
 
Edited to add direct link where you can add your comment:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=FDA-2014-N-0189-0001
 
Michael, that's exactly what I was looking for.  Edited slightly and submitted.  Thanks!
 
 
You're welcome!
 
Gentlemen,  the FDA closes its comment period tomorrow 8/8/14 for the submission of comments, data and research on the proposed deeming rules that will determine the future viability of the premium cigar industry.
 
I apologize, but I'm not following. 
 
Howcome the price needs to be $10 ? 
 
What happens at that price? Taxes?
 
why do they care about "premium cigars" V. "cigars"
 
I have not red the bill.
 
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