HR 1639

[Treamayne]

Has anyone heard of this initiative and the possible FDA cigar regulations based on the "Tobacco Act" from not too long ago? A company sent me a message with a link to the IPCPR website asking for support in writing Congressmen to support this bill. I wanted to know if this was legit and if anyone had any info on this bill or the Possible FDA regulations. Here's what I was sent:

IPCPR Action Notice

This past April we told you that the FDA was given authority over the regulation of tobacco products, which includes premium cigars. We also told you that the IPCPR was working with supporters on Capitol Hill to introduce legislation that would clearly define "premium cigar" and call for its exemption from FDA authority. We asked you to write to your representatives in Washington, and now we need your help again in support of HR 1639, the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011.

Proposed by Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), HR 1639 was written to "amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify the Food and Drug Administration's jurisdiction over certain tobacco products, and to protect jobs and small businesses involved in the sale, manufacturing and distribution of traditional and premium cigars."

In short, HR 1639 defines cigars as different from other tobacco products and, therefore, out of the reach of the FDA. By writing to your representatives to support this bill you can stop the FDA from the many actions they may take, including those we've outlined above.

Can anyone confirm any of this?

V/R

HK

 

[BigJake6904]

I sent the letter to my Rep.

If it's put out by the IPCPR, I'd trust it.

 

[MoeCizlak]

How about they lobby the insurance industry and get it differentiated from other tobacco products?

 

[nismo270r]

How about they lobby the insurance industry and get it differentiated from other tobacco products?

That's just like the issue with the proposed tax hike on pipe tobacco as well:

http://pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-and-tobacco-news/bill-introduced-to-further-raise-taxes-on-pipe-tobacco/

Companies are fraudulently labeling their RYO tobacco as pipe tobacco to evade taxes on the RYO tobacco. So what do they propose? Jack up the tax on pipe tobacco nearly 800% so the companies can't get around it...That makes WAY more sense than going after the companies illegally evading taxes.

 

[Bayamos]

Letter sent to my Rep.

 

[Pugman1943]

I did my letter also.

 

[Raodwarior]

To our newbie above...no one is evading taxes, using a loop hole in the tax law to stay in business, maybe, but evading, not even close. Tobacco is taxes in various forms, if there was evasion the nanny police would be on it in a second. Furthermore, this is what they want infighting between smokers, devide and counquer. Everyone protect their little slice and throw the other guy to the FDA, separated we have no say or no power to fight them. What this bill does in very basic terms is show the destinct difference between cigars and other smoking tobacco to keep the FDA out of it.

What anyone may think about cigarette, pipe, cigar, or hokah smokers we are all in this together. They want to ban anything that burns and if we don't stick together we will all get burned. Your hobby is affected by it....my living depends on it.

 

[nismo270r]

I definitely see where you're coming from Raodwarior. I completely agree that tobacco users as a whole, regardless of the type, need to stick together for the good of the industry, both users and merchants.

On another note...here's another one to write your congress rep about:

S. 1403 IDEA Full Funding Act:

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/pipe-news/largest-proposed-pipe-tobacco-tax-increase-ever/

I couldn't find this on the forums here, so I'm going to post up a new thread on it as well.

 

[Raodwarior]

Take smalls groups that do not have universal appeal and tax the heck out of them. The devide and conquer has worked for the fed's for yrs. So far the only lobby to really stand up has been the gun owners, and that is who, we smokers need to copy.