Cigar Rights of America Sends Letter to 50 Governors Regarding FDA Regulation

Cigar Rights of America, one of the nation’s three largest cigar trade groups, has sent a letter to each of the 50 states governors, informing them of the potentially damaging effects of cigar regulations.

The letter from Glynn Loope, CRA’s executive director, outlines the potential effects of the deeming regulations enacted by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). While some parts of the rules are in effect, the most damaging aspects—namely testing and the use of warning labels across packaging and advertising—are still not in effect.

According to the CRA, as many as 25,000 jobs could be threatened. Furthermore, CRA strikes at one of the most sensitive issues for many governors: taxes. Fewer cigars sales would mean less in both sales tax and tobacco taxes for almost every date. CRA says that the organization supports keeping tobacco products away from kids, but that the proposed regulation goes beyond the congressional mandate of the Tobacco Control Act.

“We too want to keep tobacco out of the hands of America’s youth, and we know that premium handmade cigars are neither sought nor used by minors, and do not carry the negative public health impact of the products Congress instructed the FDA to regulate.”

The letter asks the governors to petition their congressional delegations to support legislation that would exempt premium cigars from FDA control.

According to Loope, personalized letters are being sent to every governor, as well as the National Governor’s Association.

You can read the letter here.