Washington, DC- Representative Jon Runyan (R-NJ-3) and Representative Tom Price (R-GA-6) have officially co-sponsored H.R. 1639, putting the number of cosponsors at 219 and surpassing the majority in the House of Representatives. The bill, along with its companion bill S. 1461 in the Senate, seeks to protect premium cigars from FDA regulation.
Thanks to the efforts of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR), the Cigar Rights of America (CRA), and countless others, H.R. 1639 has surpassed a representative majority. This will encourage the bill's discussion in session and lead to potential enactment to protect premium cigars.
Industry-wide support from the IPCPR, CRA, retailers, producers, consumers and fellow premium cigar enthusiasts led to this distinctly bipartisan majority. The concentrated effort included significant grassroots support, online petitions and personal trips to legislators in D.C. and in their home districts to educate them on the importance of the premium cigar industry.
"The simple fact remains that premium cigars are enjoyed by adults, not marketed to nor affordable by underaged youth, and are simply celebratory in nature - not addictive. The typical premium cigar smoker may smoke 1-2 cigars a week, or even less. If the FDA were to gain the jurisdiction over premium cigars they could potentially destroy this artisan industry," said Bill Spann, CEO of the IPCPR.
Without these bills, the FDA could potentially have the authority to: ban walk-in humidors; limit advertising, including the very word cigar or tobacco; require manufacturers to submit their blends for testing; impose new fees; and nearly wipe out any flavored tobacco products at their discretion.
Spann later added "The struggle to protect premium cigars and premium tobacconists continues. We must continue educate the FDA and our legislators on the cigar industry and its importance. There are 85,000 American jobs at stake in this storied industry. In the current economy, our representative government should be doing everything in its power to protect jobs, not regulate them out of existence," said Spann.
While this is a significant step in protecting cigars and mom-and-pop tobacconist shops throughout the country, there is still a need for action. The IPCPR urges tobacco enthusiasts to continue reaching out to their legislators to drive more support to these two bills, crucial to the health of the industry.
With the support of the representative majority, the IPCPR looks forward to the bill`s continued progress in the legal system.
This article was written by Kyle Whalen. Kyle is the Public Relations Manager for the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association and can be reached at kyle@ipcpr.org. More information can be found online at www.ipcpr.org.
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