Washington State Lawmakers Consider Big, Big Tax Increase on Cigars
Ooooooooh… This one might hurt if it actually passes.
Washington State legislators are pondering two bills that, if passed, could increase taxes on cigars by whopping 500 percent.
North Carolinians Getting Used to Its New Smoking Ban Law
A tobacco state with a smoking ban? Isn’t that some sort of philosophical oxymoron?
Earlier this January, a new North Carolina law that went into effect said the state’s bars, restaurants, and certain “lodging establishments” had to go smoke-free. The new state smoking ban exempts country clubs, nonprofit private clubs, and cigar bars from the ban, the latter which must meet certain criteria to qualify for the exemption.
D.C. Passes Sidewalk Smoking Ban with No Teeth
Earlier this month, Washington, D.C.’s Council passed a law that prohibits smoking on sidewalks. The so-called “sidewalk smoking ban“ allows property owners to post “no smoking” signs within 25 feet of their entrances. The bill ⎯ “designed to break up the clusters of smokers who crowd around some doorways,” says the Washington Post ⎯ isn’t a full-out ban though. That is, if you decide to smoke anyway, you won‘t be penalized.
“Drape” Yourself in Cohiba
How much do you love the Cohiba? Much like George Costanza, who once said if it were socially acceptable, he’d “ensconce” himself in velvet, now you can ensconce yourself in all things Cohiba, that is, if you ever pass through Depew, New York. That’s where the nation’s very first Cohiba smoking lounge has just opened at Nice Ash Cigars right outside Buffalo.
“The 900-square-foot lounge features soft leather seating, Cohiba artwork, 40 cherry wood cigar lockers, a pool table, dart board, HDTV, wireless Internet access and a conference table. There are club membership fees, and the general public can attend during special events,” says Cigar Aficionado.
Who else might like to ensconce themselves in roomful of the aroma of Cohiba? Rapper Birdman, that’s who. Birdman, who’s a Cohiba fan, name-checks the brand in the song “Leather So Soft” with Lil’ Wayne. And “that’s a little known fact…“ as Cliff Clavin, another loveable sitcom character might say.
Donating to Haitian Relief Efforts
Since the 60’s, Cuban-origin cigars sold in America have been produced from tobacco plants grown all over the world, including parts of the U.S., Belgium, Indonesia, and Honduras. Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, another major source of tobacco leaf for many U.S. cigars, and more than any other country, they can understand how catastrophic the recent 7.0 magnitude earthquake has been their neighbors to the west.
Savor a Budget-Friendly Cigar from 2009 in 2010
Times are tough, and people are looking to scrimp and save anywhere possible. If you think you have to buy a fancy, expensive cigar to really get some enjoyment out of it, think again. There are a slew of “bargain cigars” to choose from, according to CigarAficionado.com.
2009 may be a year we’d all like to forget, but it did produce some with good cigars at recession-friendly prices.
Colorado Supreme Courts Rules Actors Not Allowed to Smoke Onstage
If you live in Colorado and go see a play at the theater, that scene-chewing, cigar-smoking actor better be using a prop!
The Colorado Supreme Court recently ruled to keep in place a state ban on smoking ⎯ that applies to theatrical endeavors ⎯ designed to protect the public’s health. Despite a challenge from a group of Denver theater companies, actors will not be allowed to smoke onstage even as a matter of free or creative expression.
Tobacco Exec Keeps a Positive Outlook on Cigar Industry
The tobacco industry is undergoing major changes, “including higher taxes, more regulation and a growing number of public-smoking bans that have made the social use of cigars more rare,” says recent story from the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia. But one cigar industry executive is taking it all in stride.
“I think I would rather be a tobacco executive now than an automotive executive,” Lennart Freeman, Swedish Match International President, told the Times-Dispatch.
Ringing in 2010 With a New Year’s Cigar
What did you do for New Year’s Eve? Blogger George Edmonson over at StogieGuys.com thinks you should follow his lead and start a new tradition: give people a cigar to wish them Happy New Year.
“What better way to spread some cheer and happiness than with a cigar? Oh, I’m sure I’ll run into a tobacco Grinch or two. Honestly, though, I think most people see the gift of a cigar as a friendly gesture. It seems to hearken back to a more civilized time. After all, who ever got in a fight after one too many cigars?,” Edmonson writes.
The Cigar Rights of America is Going to Bat for You
Do you feel like your rights to smoke a cigar are being trampled? Well, unite fellow cigar aficionados, and consider being part of an organized body who’s fighting for your freedom to do just that, the Cigar Rights of America (CRA).
