PCA Kicks Off Campaign in Canada

The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) has announced that it has launched it first campaign in Canada to mobilize and engage both retailers and consumers in the fight to support and defend the rights of cigar smokers.

The PCA is launching the grassroots campaign via CigarAction.org as part of its international action center, and is currently calling on retailers and consumers to fill out that will allow them to contact their Member of Parliament with a call to encourage Health Canada to reconsider proposed new health warnings. The PCA believes that implementation of new warnings labels will impact Canadian consumers’ access to international cigars.

“The latest regulatory proposal by Health Canada unfairly complicates packaging requirements for premium cigar distributors and retailers,” the PCA wrote in a press release. “The new move proposed by Health Canada would further complicate the packaging of premium cigars making the industry’s ability to comply very difficult. This would mean less products for sale, and therefore less sales for tobacconists. This is both a major small business issue and a consumer choice issue.”

Health Canada is proposing a new health warning label regulation that would cover 75% of the cigar packaging, which PCA believes effectively demonizes cigar smokers and their choice to use a legal product.

“With this grassroots campaign, the Premium Cigar Association hopes to give a voice to the millions of Canadians who enjoy premium cigars,” the organization wrote in a press release. “We believe that cigar smokers and tobacconists should be able to enjoy their passion and run their businesses, without being marginalized or harmed by regulations meant for a different injury.”