http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/cigars.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/green/chi-golf-stogies-16-may16,0,1196052.story http://tobacco.org/news/265378.html As suburban officials enact village smoking bans to include parks, patios and other outdoor venues, golf courses have become one of the last places to light up--a small blessing to duffers who swear there's nothing like a good cigar to steady one's nerves while trying to sink a crucial putt. "Smoking a cigar is very calming," said Bruce Marsden, 53, an avid golfer who regularly puffs on a stogie before teeing off on courses across the northern suburbs. . . . Should the ban ever be extended to the golf course--as some clubs in California have done--duffers like Dan Kublank, 42, a Waukegan firefighter, said he might think twice about forking over the $46 weekend green fee for non-residents playing 18 at the Lake Bluff course. While he doesn't claim smoking helps his golf game, Kublank said it does help him maintain a positive attitude. "Smoking a good cigar gives you something to think about other than your golf game." Chicago Tribune skuczka@tribune.com (Susan Kuczka * Tribune reporter ) Fri, 16 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NH_XGR_CIGARETTE_TAX_NHOL-?SITE=NHCON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://tobacco.org/news/265339.html The New Hampshire Senate has voted to tax cigarettes masquerading as little cigars. The Senate voted 13-11 Thursday to change the definition of a cigarette to capture smokes being packaged as cigars. Cigars aren't subject to the state's $1.08 per pack cigarette tax. The bill defines a cigarette by the materials used to make it and by its weight. Supporters said the state is losing money from sales of the fake cigars. But Senate Republican Leader Ted Gatsas said the change imposes an unfair cost onto wholesalers AP Thu, 15 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/business/11suits.html?_r=2&scp=5&sq=cigarette&st=nyt&oref=slogin&oref=slogin http://tobacco.org/news/265061.html The public pleasure of the cigar has received a serious blow in the form of government smoking bans. Now a company in Minneapolis says it has found a way to restore this accessory of business types. The company, Ruyan America, has introduced a cigar that produces water vapor instead of smoke. Equipped with an ultrasonic atomizer, nicotine-infused cartridges and a small battery, the cigar “provides its user with the experience of smoking, without producing dangerous secondhand smoke and without endangering the health of associates or bystanders,” according to a company statement. (No similar assertions are made about the health of the actual smoker, or rather “user,” of the cigar.) One cigar, which costs $40, contains about 1,800 mouthfuls of vapor, said Ruyan America’s president, William P. Bartkowski. (The company also offers a cigarette version.) New York Times Sun, 11 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/080509/0395700.html http://tobacco.org/news/265031.html "No legislated smoking ban makes sense, but the draconian version surreptitiously passed yesterday by the Michigan Senate is a grievous affront to the personal rights and basic principles of all citizens," said Daniel Jenuwine, owner of The Cigar Factory Outlet in Troy, Michigan. The bill now returns to the House for further consideration, compromise or forwarding to Gov. Jennifer Granholm for her signature as early as next week. Jenuwine hopes the House either buries the bill or reinstates the exemptions it originally considered. "Obviously many of our Senators have fallen for the slanted so-called studies commissioned by the anti-smoking people that dubiously conclude that businesses aren't hurt by smoking bans. I'd like to invite all our legislators and the Governor to visit my store and the nearly 100 other cigar stores throughout the state of Michigan represented by the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association to see firsthand how the proposed smoking ban would negatively impact our businesses," said Jenuwine. Internet Wire Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-07-2008/0004808534&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/264877.html Ruyan America, Inc., Minneapolis, announced today that it will be previewing its award-winning and ground-breaking smoking substitutes on Thursday, May 22, 2008, at Neisen's Sports Bar and Grill, 4851 West 123rd Street, Savage, Minn., from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The preview will feature the Ruyan Vegas E-cigar, recently awarded the honor as Most Marketable New Product at the 2008 Tobacco Plus Expo held in Las Vegas on April 24th and 25th, 2008. Ruyan will also have its E-cigarette available that night; the Ruyan E-cigarette was given the 2008 Most Innovative Product award at the same Las Vegas Expo. Products will be available for sampling and for sale. The Ruyan Vegas looks and feels like a premium cigar, five and one-half inches in length with a circumference of approximately 50 ring size. The Ruyan Vegas uses a microchip, airflow sensor, ultrasonic atomizer and nicotine-infused cartridges to produce a vapor that provides its user with the experience of smoking, without producing dangerous second hand smoke and without endangering the health of associates or bystanders. The Ruyan Vegas has approximately 1800 mouthfuls of vapor, nearly the equivalent vapor to the mouthfuls of smoke produced in a carton of conventional cigarettes, and is meant to be disposed after it ceases to produce vapor. Smokers who use it to replace all of their smoking activity report it lasts as long as a carton of cigarettes PR Newswire billb@ruyanamerica.com (SOURCE Ruyan America, Inc.) Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CUBA_GIANT_CIGAR?SITE=CAWOO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://tobacco.org/news/264820.html Looks like it will be close, but no giant cigar, for Cuba's stogie-rolling king Jose Castelar. The 64-year-old former world-record holder has teamed up with five assistants, using nearly 93 pounds (42 kilograms) of top-quality tobacco to assemble a 98-foot (30-meter) cigar. Castelar set Guinness Records for the world's longest cigars in 2001, 2003 and April 2005, when he completed a stogie measuring 20.41 meters, just shy of 67 feet. On Tuesday, he said he is shooting for a fourth title. But Castelar, who learned the art of cigar-making from an uncle at age 5, is likely to fall short this time: Guinness says Puerto Rican cigar-maker Patricio Pena crafted a whopping 41.2-meter (135-foot) stogie last year. AP Cuba Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gZQp8a08hIgk5NhG389L2KmJaYsQ http://tobacco.org/news/264817.html Jose Castelar began rolling cigars when he was five. Now, at 64, the Cuban expert hopes to finish rolling a 20-meter (65-foot) stogie by Wednesday to garner his fourth world record from the Guinness Book. "I can't tell you exactly how far I'll get, but my goal is to beat my former record of 20.41 meters (66.9 feet)," Castelar, knicknamed "Cueto," told AFP on Sunday. He rolls his mega-cigar out of premium tobacco leaves, making a long, slender tube about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) across. He works non-stop, eight hours a day since he began his record-seeking attempt on Saturday. Agence France Presse Cuba Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/07/news/Cuba-Giant-Cigar.php http://tobacco.org/news/264811.html HAVANA: Looks like it will be close, but no giant cigar, for Cuba's stogie-rolling king Jose Castelar. The 64-year-old former world-record holder has teamed up with five assistants, using nearly 93 pounds (42 kilograms) of top-quality tobacco to assemble a 98-foot (30-meter) cigar. Castelar set Guinness Records for the world's longest cigars in 2001, 2003 and April 2005 AP letters@iht.com Cuba Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/05/06/smokin-joe-100-not-out-cricketer-s-90-years-of-tobacco-89520-20406796/ http://tobacco.org/news/264714.html Veteran smoker Joe Drew turned 100 yesterday - with no sign of running out of puff. The cricket fanatic celebrated by filling his pipe with his favourite tobacco and lighting up. Joe started smoking 90 years ago in 1918, aged 10. The former gas fitter, who gets through 100 grams of his rare Erinmore mix a week, has used up around 300,000 grams of tobacco since then. Not surprisingly, doctors have urged him to give up. . . . I walk to the shop every day. I don't drink. My vice is cigars and the pipe. I never tried to quit." The Mirror Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/April2008/29/c2784.html http://tobacco.org/news/264345.html Casa Cubana is outraged at the latest tactics used by government-funded anti-tobacco groups. In their world of "the end justifies the means", anti-tobacco groups in Canada have felt it increasingly necessary to use kids in their attempt to manipulate public perception, create public outrage and force governments to over-regulate tobacco products. Over-regulation of tobacco products in Canada, has we have witnessed several times over the last decade - often leads to much greater problems for our country and effectively undermines the very health objectives governments purport to promote and defend. "These extremist groups are now tricking "kids" into promoting their self-serving agendas against tobacco" - says Luc Martial (in charge of government affairs with Casa Cubana, and formerly with the Non-Smokers' Rights Association, the Canadian Council on Smoking and Health, the National Clearinghouse on Tobacco and Health, and the federal government (Health Canada). "While perhaps well-intended, these kids and their youth-oriented anti-tobacco groups are unfortunately simply regurgitating misrepresentations actively promoted by anti-tobacco extremist groups. These kids, unfortunately, have not learned to question the information being force-fed to them by people and organizations that on the face of it...seem trustworthy. And that's the problem." These youth organizations recently called upon Québec's Minister of Health to ban the use of flavours in tobacco products - citing the use of flavored cigarillos as an emerging problem among youth. If youth organizations like "La gang allumée" were actually "allumée" - then they would realize that the issues they are raising are simply misguided. It is well known that high school kids have always been (and will likely always be) unfortunately experimenting with drugs, alcohol and yes, even tobacco. Government research, however, now clearly suggests that high school kids are by far greater consumers of alcohol, gambling products and marijuana . . . The fact is that alcohol and marijuana use are now much greater problems among youth than tobacco. It's important to note that the market for specialty tobacco products in Canada (which include premium cigars, little cigars, cigarillos and cheroots) - continues to represent less than 1% of all tobacco products sold and consumed in our country. More to this point, the very same flavours in cigarillos that youth groups are now requesting that government ban - are similarly and in much greater varieties found in alcohol products distributed in government-run liquor stores . . . Casa Cubana is a Montreal-based importer of quality cigar products. Canada Newswire Canada Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9073095 http://tobacco.org/news/264133.html Mission Pipe Shop 1205 The Alameda, San Jose San Jose Mercury-News Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9073081?nclick_check=1 http://tobacco.org/news/264132.html • Cigar smoking is an equipment-intensive sport. There are, for example, three methods of cutting off the tip of the cigar - the guillotine, the bullet or punch cut, and the V-cut - each with its own special cutter. • Because fluid-based lighters and sulfur matches can transfer their noxious chemicals to the cigar's taste, serious smokers use butane micro-torches - called "burners" San Jose Mercury-News Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9073064 http://tobacco.org/news/264130.html cigar stores are thriving by becoming more social. Governor's retreat Cigar shops are the last best place to be with other like-minded lung cases and smoke your brains out. . . . Like many cigar converts, Harrison believes his new vice is healthier than his old one. "Cigars are 100 percent natural, with no chemicals or other additives," he asserts. "A lot of people have left cigarettes and moved to cigars because they are better for you." SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Cigars are not a safe alternative to cigarettes. Cigar smoking can cause lung cancer and heart disease. Cigar smoking can cause cancers of the mouth and throat, even if you do not inhale. Even that kind of serious buzzkill doesn't make cigar smokers pessimistic. San Jose Mercury-News bnewman@mercurynews.com (Bruce Newman) Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.imperial-tobacco.com/index.asp?page=78&newsid=583 http://tobacco.org/news/264053.html Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (Imperial) announces that it has today filed the accounts of its wholly owned subsidiary, Altadis, for the year ended 31 December 2007 with the Spanish Mercantile Registry. . . . The Cigarette Division grew significantly during the year with strong positive performances in Spain, Morocco and the Middle East. . . . The performance of the Cigar Division was impacted by the weakness of the US dollar. At constant exchange rates, economic sales rose by 2% and EBITDA by 1%. In the USA, product launches and additional advertising and promotion expenditure to address Q1 sales declines showed positive results later in the year in spite of challenging market trends. Sales of Cuban cigars grew by 6% in dollar terms with improvements in both mature and emerging markets. Imperial Tobacco Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jAIB46lwFw12a30vtw8hcTFGfOVQ http://tobacco.org/news/263878.html Puffing on his usual post-game cigar, Braves manager Bobby Cox flashed a startled look when asked what he thought of Shea Stadium's total ban on smoking. "You mean the new one?" he asked, referring to Citi Field, where the New York Mets will begin playing in 2009. No, skipper. The Mets announced in March that they were going smoke-free in their final season at Shea Stadium. The only area where smokers can light up is a designated area outside the park. Which brings us to Cox, the longtime Braves manager and cigar aficionado. He'll be at Shea this weekend when the Braves face the Mets in a three-game series. . . . "The clubhouse doesn't count," Cox quipped. The Mets wouldn't say Tuesday whether the ban does or does not apply to the clubhouses. Canadian Press Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT