Anger, confusion and hoarding are some smokers’ reactions to recent federal legislation.
Jump to full article: Glendale (CA) News-Press, 2009-10-05
Author: Christopher Cadelago
Intro: Business owners and smokers, many of them still fuming over recent anti-smoking ordinances, are denouncing a recent federal prohibition affecting cigarettes with fruit, candy or clove flavors.
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Despite accounting for only a small segment of the market, shop owners, clerks and smokers said they view the prohibition as the first significant step taken by the agency since assuming jurisdiction over the tobacco industry -- with more steps likely to come.
"What's next?" said Cindy Johnson, 26, a longtime smoker of Djarum cigarettes, imported from Indonesia by Kretek International.
The Van Nuys student said she stopped off at her neighborhood market to load up, and plans on adding to her stockpile in the coming days as stores empty their shelves.
To circumvent the rules and satisfy customers like Johnson, Kretek released filtered cigars similar in size to cigarettes and flavored with clove, vanilla and cherry. . . .
Hanni Piuo, owner of the Smoke Shop at 101 N. Victory Blvd., scanned a wall of tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars and rolling papers -- about half of which is dedicated to flavors from strawberry and grape, to coconut and cherry. The ban also includes tobacco products defined as cigarettes, even though they may not be labeled as such.
"It's going to be bad, man," he said Monday. "It's not fair to let me smoke what you want. If I like cherry, why is that your business?"
Piuo has already received an earful from his 200 to 300 daily customers.
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