Senator Bill Nelson from Florida has introduced a new Senate bill S.441 on February 10, designed to protect the premium cigar industry from the new FDA tobacco regulations. You can see the bill info here.
S.441 – A bill 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.
The FDA is in the process of passing a regulation that would include premium cigars that would, by all accounts, impact the cigar industry from manufacturers to local shops, to consumers. It is expected to go into effect late Spring of this year and would ban smoking in cigar shops, pull blends after 2008 off the shelf until approved by the FDA, prohibit the consumer from entering shop hukmidor, and eliminate colorful advertising, and force manufactures to add warning labels to their packaging. They even go as far as stating that a premium cigar must retail for at least 10 USD.
The FDA received over 70,000 comments from the public on this regulation that is treating the pleasure of cigar smoking the same as cigarettes.
Senate Bill S.441 is cosponsored by Senator Marco Rubio and 8 others in bipartisian support of 5 Republicans and 4 Democrats.
You can help maintain your rights by calling or writing your representatives to support Senate Bill S.441