Under the new law, cigarette, chewing tobacco, “roll your own” tobacco, and cigars of any kind, including premium cigars and Cuban cigars may not differentiate their product on the packaging with anything more than the name of the brand and its “variant”.  Within the plain packaging, individual units are not labeled, named, or in any other way made distinguishable from other brands.

The article, which addresses the legal challenges the law faces is written by two gentlemen from the legal profession, not physicians, and is the first that I have seen that shows the actual, new packaging….

Examples of Australia's "plain packaging" for tobacco products; copyright Commonwealth of Australia. Released by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing in conjunction with the Plain Packaging Act of 2011.

I know that the text on the side of these packages is a little hard to read, so here’s what it says:

“The toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke damage your blood vessels, damage your body’s cells and attack your immune system.”

I think that it is fair to say that few people that smoke believe that the practice is healthy for them.  In fact, basic human instinct tells us not to shove a burning wad of leaves into the hole in the center of our face.  That’s why they call smoking an “acquired” taste.  However, the same can be said for alcohol, fatty foods, sugary treats, etc., etc., etc…

Do we really need to have these graphic and disturbing photo images on our cigar boxes?  Of course the answer is a resounding “NO!”  But thankfully the leaders of the health care industry and the brain trust leading the American Nanny State are here to save us…

Give me a break!

Now is the time to step up and do something!  The future of the entire premium cigars industry is seriously in jeopardy.  How much more before they simply make smoking illegal?  Moreover, what’s next?

Do the right thing, hit the Cigar Rights of America homepage, sign the petition, join the organization.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

If you don’t, who will?

Martin Klausmeier, CCT
Managing Editor, CigarCaptain.com
CRA Ambassador, Wisconsin, USA

Join Cigar Rights of America today.

Sign the petition to support H.R. 1639 / S. 1461 and SAVE OUR SMOKES!

Recently the Aging Room M356 line by the Oliveros Cigar Company received an outstanding “94″ rating from Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar Insider.  The M356 line is a new, limited run production composed of all Dominican ligero tobaccos which were originally reserved for a different production.  The limited quantities of these fine leaves did not yield sufficient amounts for the originally planned run so the leaves were stored.  Only now, through the magic of brand owners Rafael Nodal and Hank Bischoff, have these leaves found their rightful place in the M356 line.

Follow along with me as I smoke my way through the entire line-up of Aging Room M356 cigars and Oliveros’ other award winner, SWAG Puro Dominicano…

The Aging Room M356 line-up: Presto, Rondo, Mezzo, and Major

The SWAG line-up includes the Lavish, Quickie, Infamous, Fierce, and Ego.

Don’t they look tasty?

Marty K.