My reaction to the new FDA regulations of Premium Cigars
You can read the 499 pages of onerous new regulations here.
Eric and Bobby Newman, president and executive vice president of J.C. Newman Cigar Company, issued the following joint statement in response:
“We are deeply disappointed that the Food and Drug Administration has decided to regulate premium cigars. The premium cigar industry is made up of dozens of small, family-owned cigar makers, like us, along with thousands of small, independent specialty cigar stores across the country. The cost and burdens of onerous regulations threaten the entire industry. We are closely studying the 499 pages of regulations that the FDA issued this morning and are hopeful that we can find a way to save our historic cigar factory in Tampa.
“Our grandfather, Julius Caeser Newman, founded our family business in 1895. In our 121-year history, we have survived two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cuban Embargo, and countless other challenges. Despite this major setback, we will do everything that we can to try to find a way to persevere and protect the jobs of our 135 employees.”
Glynn Loope, Executive Director of Cigar Rights of America, stated in reaction to today’s release that, “the inclusion of premium cigars in the final rule by FDA is yet another clear indicator that the agency never intended on complying with the Congressional mandate in the 2009 Act, and that the agency is clearly overstepping its authority in its zealous pursuit of unjustified regulations. Due to today’s actions by FDA, Cigar Rights of America will continue concentrating its efforts on the pursuit of the legislative exemption adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, and CRA is calling on Congress to act this year to protect the premium cigar retail community, the availability of legal products to America’s adult consumers, and to address the political and economic threat that this regulation posses throughout Latin America.”
Here is FUDA Secretary Sylvia Burwell explaining their bogus decision:
Historic step will help @FDATobacco improve public health & protect future generations from the dangers of tobacco.https://t.co/2ez55AmD4B
— Sylvia Burwell (@SecBurwell) May 5, 2016
We’ll have more reaction tomorrow 12-2pm ET on the Cigar Dave Show. You can listen live at CigarDave.com, Cigar Dave Mobile Apps or on 140+ radio stations.
