Today the Premium Cigar Association submitted a comment to the European Commission in reference to its “Framework for Tobacco Control” related to the 2040 Tobacco Free agenda. This agenda would ultimately lead to the ban of sale and use of any tobacco or nicotine derived device from the European Union market by 2040. The first step in this full prohibition is the implementation of plain packaging, or close to plain packaging. Cigar boxes would be at least 80% covered in warning labels, grotesque images and standardized green color. This, if imposed, would now be across the European Union and cover all tobacco products.
The Premium Cigar Association submitted a comment working alongside experts at the European Manufactures Association who are leading efforts in Europe to protect handmade cigars. PCA’s comment relied heavily on the health effects of premium cigar use not warranting graphic images or adopting more intrusive regulations than are already in existence. The European Union has some of the strictest tobacco laws in the world and high taxes.
If these restrictions are implemented in the European Union, other nations will likely follow suit. This is not based in science; it is based in the government admitting they do not believe you can make a decision on your own. The studies on the health effects of premium cigars are out there, the studies on youth access and usage are out there, and the studies of the declining rate of smoking are out there. Even with the available data showing that there is no need to take this simple pleasure away from people, here is just the most recent example of this kind of legislation gaining support.
Joshua Habursky, the Deputy Executive Director of the Premium Cigar Association said:
“Anti-tobacco groups have been organized globally for many years. It’s time that we start cooperating across borders to protect handmade cigars and we are grateful of ECMA Director General Paul Varkas for leading this effort. PCA is committed to our mission of protecting specialty tobacco retailing from Washington to Warsaw, Boston to Brussels and large cities to small towns.”
Paul Varakas, the Director General of the European Cigar Manufacturers Association said:
“With plain packaging and a full-flavour ban looming in the upcoming years, EU politicians need to be reminded that cigars are different from other tobacco and nicotine products. ECMA will continue to work with like-minded organizations all across the globe to deliver this simple – yet essential – message.”
To further foster international discussion on premium cigar policy, PCA will be hosting a breakout session on Sunday July 10th at 2pm in Room 302 at the PCA 2022 Trade Show and an International Policy Summit (in-person) in Washington, DC on November 16th and 17th.
Full Text of Comments
We are providing a comment as representatives from the Premium Cigar Association. A United States based association that represents over 3000 specialty retail tobacconists and over 250 handmade cigar manufacturers which comprise an estimated 330,000 jobs internationally. Below is evidence that should be considered by the European Commission when revising the EU tobacco control framework following the adoption of its ‘2040 Tobacco Free generation’.
- Due to a wide range of factors, most important of which is the lack of inhalation, and frequency of use, the health consequences of handmade cigars smoking overall are likely to be less than those smoking other types of tobacco products. This was in the NIH/FDA PATH Study and the NASEM Study which was commissioned by the FDA, published in March 2022. These are not industry studies, they are Federally commissioned, independent studies on the patterns of use, health effects and marketing of handmade
cigars. - The patterns of use for handmade cigars is an important reason to be treated distinctly differently than other tobacco products. Any and all restrictions proposed by the European Commission, should consider the lack of daily/weekly use when drafting proposed sweeping rules on all tobacco products. The average handmade cigar smoker reported smoking cigars 1.2 days out of 30 days. This has been consistently showcased in Eurobarometer studies and the NIH/FDA PATH Study, which also determined that the average age of starting to smoke handmade cigars was at 30 years old.
- The NASEM Study notes: “There is insufficient evidence to determine if occasional or nondaily exclusive cigar use in general is associated with increased health risks.” (1)
- Handmade cigars are different then any other tobacco product for all of the reasons above and the storage and the way they are purchased. The storage of handmade cigars requires strict humidity and temperature control of around 70%RH and 21°C. These strict storage requirements need specialty retail locations to sell handmade cigars.
- Many handmade cigar manufacturers and cigar tobacco growers are based in the United States. If handmade cigar sales were further restricted in Europe, many of these manufacturers and growers would likely have to reduce employment and development. These small farming communities would see a drastic change in demand if further action is taken in Europe to restrict the sales of handmade cigars.
- Data provided by the CDC publishes up to date information on youth access to tobacco products, and youth usage of tobacco products. This study has shown that there is a stark decline in youth smoking across the U.S. wich is the largest tobacco market in the world. Since 2019, smoking among youth has decreased by over 29%. The rules already in place are proving to be effective and further regulation is unnecessary.
Considering the above, handmade cigars should continue to benefit from a different regulatory treatment within the EU tobacco control legislation, which should primarily focus on products affecting the overall EU smoking prevalence.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Premium Cigars: Patterns of Use, Marketing, and Health Effects. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26421.
- U.S. National Institute of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Path (Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health) Study – Home.” National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed June 17, 2022. https://pathstudyinfo.nih.gov/.
- “Trends in Tobacco Use among Youth.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/trends-in-tobacco-use-amongyouth.html#:~:text=Nearly%202%20of%20every%20100,decrease%20from%204.3%25%20in%202011.&text=Nearly%205%20of%20every%20100,decrease%20from%2015.8%25%20in%202