Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 267

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Officially formed last week in papers filed with the Federal Election Commission, “Puro PAC” is a new political action committee (PAC) with the goal of protecting premium cigars from government anti-tobacco measures, and specifically pushing the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act.” The committee is formed as a “Super PAC,” which gives it maximum freedom to support candidates directly (subject to legal limits) and to spend as much money as it can raise on independent expenditures. Puro PAC Chairman Jeff Borysiewicz, owner of the Orlando-based Corona Cigar Company, tells StogieGuys.com that although there had been talk of forming a PAC affiliated with Cigar Rights of America, Puro PAC will be a more effective vehicle to push cigar rights since it can raise funds from individuals (not just from CRA members like a traditional affiliated PAC) and from corporations with no contribution limits. Now that the paper work has been filed, his goal is to raise a six-figure war chest that can be deployed to promote pro-cigar politicians and oppose those who advocate more restrictions on adults who choose to enjoy premium cigars.

2) The Economist reports that overall cigar sales in Britain are down about 20% over the past half decade, but small, machine-made smokes are “holding steady,” now comprising about 60% of the market. The publication cites two reasons for the disparity. First, smoking bans have decreased demand for cigars that take 45-minutes or more to smoke. Second, the cost of premium handmade cigars has gone up faster, in part due to the fact that cigars are taxed by weight. “Even firms that hand-roll cigars are responding to these shifts,” says the article. “Sales are rising of short robustos.”

3) Officials in Vancouver unanimously adopted a new law that criminalizes smoking in the city’s parks. Advocates of such outdoor bans typically cite biased secondhand smoke studies as justifications for their regulations, but this law is seemingly devoid of even flawed reasoning because it also bans smokeless tobacco products. The crime is punishable by 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie reviews a God of Fire Serie B. Cigar Brief fires up a Toraño Vault. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve. Cigar Explorer smokes the MUWAT Bait Fish. Cigar Fan lights up a Drew Estate Undercrown.

5) Deal of the Week: Smoke Inn is featuring a variety of 10-packs on sale for $38-50. When you purchase one, you can also pick up a 50-count humidor for just $25 and take advantage of site-wide free shipping through the holidays.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Wikipedia