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FDA Reopening Comment Period Regarding New Pending Regulations

ironpeddler

ironpeddler

Ye Old Newbie
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
6,661
All of us should give this a read and send our Federal Government an electronic letter. In the top right corner is a blue button "Comment Now!"....hit that and voice your opinion.

I'm still not convinced that 'Cigar Rights of America' (CRA) is doing anything positive in reversing or slowing down legislation concerning the ban on tobacco or cigars in particular. If they have, I sure haven't seen it. It's up to us to be heard.

It's the very reason that brought us all together here on this forum. :cool:

LINK
 
One thing not helping is certain online vendors adolescent advertising. I shake my head a lot.
 
I don't mean to sound dense on the subject, but I did a search on the link you provided and I didn't see any specific mention of "cigars".

Do you think if the new regulations are adopted that it would affect cigars, as well?

Again, I apologize if I sound dense, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it.
 
Scap said:
I don't mean to sound dense on the subject, but I did a search on the link you provided and I didn't see any specific mention of "cigars".

Do you think if the new regulations are adopted that it would affect cigars, as well?

Again, I apologize if I sound dense, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it.
Click to expand...
FDA deeming regulations would affect ALL tobacco related products including cigars, cigarettes, E-cigs and even hookahs. The magnitude of the proposed regulations could change cigar smoking as we know it. By waiving their bureaucratic hand, the FDA can eliminate all cigars blends which have come to market after 2007 and fall under the $10 mark. This would basically force manufacturers to raise price above $10 to seek exemption or be forced to cease production of that particular blend. New blends coming into market in the future would require FDA approval which consists of an outrageous application fee (I've heard $250,000 but can't confirm) PER BLEND along with a ridiculous amount of testing and analysis. There are also smaller restrictions in the deeming regulations such as no more free samples or "swag" at events and I have even seen restrictions on how cigars are presented by retailers in your local B&M. Any way you slice it something is going to happen. It will either be bad or really bad.
 
Damn, that sounds nasty....thanks for the heads up.
 
ironpeddler said:
I'm still not convinced that 'Cigar Rights of America' (CRA) is doing anything positive in reversing or slowing down legislation concerning the ban on tobacco or cigars in particular. If they have, I sure haven't seen it. It's up to us to be heard.
Click to expand...

Sometimes I wonder if this whole FDA regulation is a giant ruse by the rule to drum up membership. My tin foil hat is probably just on a bit too tight though.
 
Update: the appropriations bill up for debate today contains a rider in the agriculture section which forbids the FDA from using funds to regulate the premium cigar industry for this upcoming year. It's on the speaker's desk today, so here's what you need to do:

1. Drop whatever you're doing now.
2. Read this article for phrasing (halfwheel link).
3. Pickup your phone and call Rep Ryan and Rep McCarthy.

B/SOTLs, this is time-critical, so make the calls today. Keep trying if you get a busy signal; I was able to get through to Rep McCarthy's office pretty quickly. Be sure you're succinct and to-the-point; the staffers get a lot of calls, so try to keep to the phrasing that IPCPR suggests in the posted halfwheel article.

It's a glimmer of hope, people. Make the calls and save our hobby.
 
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Please, please, please everyone pick up the phone. It took me all of ten seconds to place the calls. Just give your name and tell them you are calling "to support provision in the appropriation bills to keep the FDA out of the business of regulating premium cigars." The staffer will simply thank you and tell you that he will pass you message along to the congressman.
 
I finally got through to McCarthy. No luck with Ryan's office, yet.
McCarty is the more "evil" of the two, as he is said to be on the side of big tobacco, etc.
 
They passed a short extension bill. Any word if this snuck in that one?
 
Would appear the spending bill has passed per Paul Ryan and CNN. Now the question is whether or not the premium cigar exemption is still included in the bills language. There is no guarantee the cigar exemption remained in the final version. If it did, good news as per Halfwheel.com cigars would be exempted " regardless of price, flavoring, whether they are entirely long filler or when they were introduced to market"
That was the huge push to call Ryan and McCarthy. We will know soon.
 
Now on the the OMB. Also, HR 662 may still get some traction. We hope.

However, given that hope is never a valid tactic, I have a 50 cab of Epernays enroute... just in case.
 
It would appear FDA Deeming Regulations will be announced by April 15th however, from preliminary data the cigar industry will be changing and not in a good way.
Based on IPCPR discussions with politicians and our Washington lobby, the FDA will have full control of the cigar industry. The biggest issue is how far back the FDA goes to "grandfather" in brands. There is talk of February 2007 which means ALL brands brought to market after that date would be wiped out. The boutique industry and all those brands and blends we have come to love, gone. This 2007 date of s worse case scenario.
Blends brought to market after that date would require FDA approval which takes approx $300,000 and up to two years PER size, PER brand.
IPCPR will be pushing for that grandfather date to be reduced maybe as much as 8 years thus ensuring some newer brands are grandfathered in. Also, it would appear deeming regulations will be effective in 2018 giving the industry a couple of years to get things together. If that's the case I can see a lot of manufacturers in a frenzy to Eliminate current stock and tobacco currently the manufacturing process. After 2018, basically they can't sell it as a cigar in the US market without FDA approval.
Looks like we are now lumped in with cigarettes, Vap, and all other tobacco products.
* All the info above was discussed and presented by a board member of IPCPR who has his own podcast. David Garafalo, who doesn't mind telling the world what he knows for good or bad.
 
Here's my 2 cents worth.
"Child protection is certainly an priority, but delving into the cigar industry for the sole purpose of extricating more money for the same cigar is another reach by the greedy.
We don't want the FDA or the government inspecting, fondling, observing, or anything to do with the final product. It's been proven time and again, it will drive the industry to ruin. While the increased profit will go to some lobbyist.
We didn't need you before and we don't need you now."
 
bucfan444 said:
* All the info above was discussed and presented by a board member of IPCPR who has his own podcast. David Garafalo, who doesn't mind telling the world what he knows for good or bad.
Click to expand...

I listened to that same podcast on my drive on Friday. I arrived at my location, thoroughly depressed. I'm thinking I may need to free up some funds and buy a bunch of boxes if my favorite newer brands will suddenly go away.

For those looking for the podcast - it was the Cigar Authority, Feb 12th (?) episode. They cover most of the stuff in the first 30 minutes or so.
 
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