Premium Cigar News and Notes

Look here for current cigar articles, news alerts and more

Nov 15

Election 2024 Updates: Unified GOP Control of Congress as RFK Jr. Nominated to Lead HHS

November 15, 2024 As the final results from the 2024 Election continue to come in, Cigar Rights of America continues to provide updates on the rapidly evolving political landscape and…

Nov 08

What to Expect for Premium Cigars in State Legislatures in 2025: Key Threats and Potential Protections

With the conclusion of the 2024 election, it’s now time to turn the page to what premium cigars will be up against in the states in 2025. As we look…

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Oct 16

Tennessee vs. Alabama: The Historic Cigar Game Tradition Continues

This weekend, one of college football’s most celebrated rivalries takes center stage as the #7 Alabama Crimson Tide roll into the Scruffy City to take on the #11 Tennessee Volunteers…

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Oct 01

CRA Partners with the European Cigar Manufacturers Association Amidst Push by the European Commission’s to Expand Smoking Bans

The European market is becoming increasingly critical for the premium cigar industry, but it has now also become ground zero for the most aggressive expansions in tobacco control. As European…

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Oct 01

Generational Tobacco Bans Considered in Four Massachusetts Towns: CRA Responds with Opposition

Recently, four towns in Massachusetts—Peabody, Lexington, Northampton, and Medford—have explored implementing generational tobacco bans, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to individuals born after a certain year, regardless…

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Sep 19

Lawmakers Push to Exempt Premium Cigars from FDA Oversight

Congressmen Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) have officially co-sponsored HJ Res. 99, a resolution aimed at permanently exempting premium cigars from U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)regulation. This…

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Sep 18

FDA’s Tobacco Director Testifies Before House Subcommittee, Addressing Concerns on Regulation and Enforcement

Dr. Brian King, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), testified before the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee on September 10th,…

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Cigar News

October 29, 2024

Mississippi: Whenever someone asks about my workspace in Oxford, Mississippi, I have two answers. The official answer is it sits a couple of blocks from the Square, inside the Anchorage Building, a small studio amid a labyrinth of hallways and offices that houses a desk, a guitar, an espresso machine, and a few shelves of books and career keepsakes.

October 16, 2024

North Carolina: In late September, Hurricane Helene struck the Southeastern United States, cutting a swath of destruction and leaving more than 250 dead across six states. No area was hit harder than North Carolina, particularly the city of Asheville, located near the Blue Ridge Mountains in the western part of the state.

October 15, 2024

New York: Barclay Rex, downtown’s century-plus-old tobacco shop now located at 126 Pearl St., has an interesting namesake. “Rex was my grandfather’s dog when he was a child,” owner Vanessa Nastri told the Downtown Alliance. “The dog used to be in the store as the advertisement.

October 8, 2024

West Virginia: Kanawha County, West Virginia, prohibits smoking in most indoor public areas and workplaces. Mardi Gras Casino and Resort believes that is hurting its business and has appealed to the Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health to grant it an exemption.

September 16, 2024

Federal: It seemed to be a good day in court for the cigar industry this morning, or rather a difficult one for the FDA. The Food & Drug Administration made opening arguments earlier today in the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.

September 4, 2024

Washington, DC: In August, a group of tobacco companies filed a petition for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS), seeking a review of a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decision that the First Amendment does not bar U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) from requiring graphic warnings on cigarette packaging.

September 3, 2024

Florida: Mirroring Flagler Beach, which passed a similar ordinance two years ago, the Flagler County Commission today approved on first reading a prohibition on smoking or vaping in any public park or public recreation area, including the length of the county’s beaches, with a notable exception: unfiltered cigars.

September 3, 2024

Massachusetts: Boston Celtics legend Red Auerbach was known for winning, and his name was also synonymous with "victory cigar" for his habit of lighting one up when the games he was coaching were already out of reach.

August 21, 2024

Washington, DC: The legal victory vacating FDA's authority over premium cigars last August was a monumental win for the industry. This decision was the culmination of years of dedicated advocacy and legal action led by Cigar Rights of America (CRA) and our allies. For many, this victory felt like the final chapter in a long and arduous battle—but the reality is that the fight for cigar rights is far from over.

August 6, 2024

Washington, DC: On August 9, 2023, the premium cigar industry experienced a groundbreaking victory when U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta vacated all U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulations regarding premium cigars. This landmark decision marked a pivotal moment in the history of tobacco regulation, representing the most significant rollback of such policies in modern times.

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