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Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 398

5 Sep 2014

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.

Nebraska Supreme Court1) Nebraska’s highest court has ruled that smoking in cigar bars and tobacco shops is unconstitutional. The Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act renders it “unlawful for any person to smoke in a place of employment or a public place,” but exemptions were granted to tobacco retail outlets and the state’s 11 cigar bars. However, according to the Lincoln Journal Star, “Judge Kenneth Stephan, writing for the majority, said there is no substantial difference in circumstances between cigar bars and other public places or workplaces that justifies treating them differently.” Cigar bar owners have reportedly met in Omaha to discuss their response, which is likely to entail allowing patrons to smoke until their licenses expire on October 31, and asking lawmakers to address the issue in the next legislative session.

2) In partnership with the Tobacconist of Greenwich—a cigar shop in Connecticut that’s lacking in lounge space—Davidoff has opened its fifth upscale lounge in the U.S. “The store is a landmark in Greenwich. This [lounge] is an additional location,” Michael Cafagno, co-owner of the Tobacconist of Greenwich, told the Greenwich Time. “Of the 229 stores, we’re the largest Davidoff retailer in the U.S. We have a very good relationship with them. The majority of products will be Davidoff, but we’ll be selling the other high-end brands.” Annual lounge memberships cost $3,000, and single-day passes are also available for $50. Greenwich is an affluent suburb of New York.

3) Inside the Industry: Antillian Cigars, manufacturer of Sosa, announced that it will be the exclusive U.S. distributor for Arandoza Cigars, Headlines Cigars, and Doña Nieves Cigars. Meanwhile, Davidoff is beginning an “aggressive” expansion of Camacho to Canada.

4) Deal of the Week: Using these coupon codes you can score some good deals from site sponsor Cigar Place. Our favorites include 20% off Undercrown and Oliva. You can also use the promo to score 5% off the limited Tatuaje Reserva Noella.

The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Nebraska Judicial Branch

4 Responses to “Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 398”

  1. Mike Friday, September 5, 2014 at 9:57 am #

    That's too bad for Nebraska. That ruling goes against most other states, which have generally found such exemptions narrow and reasonable.

  2. Wesley Friday, September 5, 2014 at 10:50 am #

    I can't possibly imagine the justification for outlawing smoking in cigar bars and cigar shops. What ridiculousness. Shame on Nebraska.

    • Mike Monday, September 8, 2014 at 11:17 am #

      That state's constitution has a clause banning laws that only benefit narrow interests. The smoking ban exemption for cigar bars and tobacco shops ran afoul of it. The bar owner who brought the lawsuit was hoping the state Supreme Court would toss the whole smoking ban law, but instead they just removed the unconstitutional exemption.

      I don't know the cigar bar owners can win this one, especially since they got an exemption carved out of the ban more than year after it was passed. I don't know how lawmakers can pass a constitutional version. And it's not a federal issue, so there is nowhere to appeal it to.

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