On Friday, Maine State Senator Jill Duson, D-Cumberland, filed a bill that seeks to band the sale of flavored tobacco products statewide.
Maine has become a hotspot for bans on the sale of flavored tobacco recently, as three of the state’s four most populated cities have passed their own bans. South Portland just passed its ban about a week-and-a-half ago, while Bangor passed a ban in August, Brunswick passed its ban in April, and Portland passed a ban in February. In a statement, Duson cited the desire to protect children from the dangers of tobacco and vaping products as being the driving force behind the bill.
The Maine State Legislature has already begun its session, but the bill has not yet been assigned to a committee.
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.