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| SMOKESHOPS WIN ONE IN NEW MEXICO |
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Page 1 of 2  Plus: Our Register & Win winner of the week!Los Angeles, May 14 – “In government, you have to float something out there and gauge the reaction to it, and I just didn’t get a lot of strong positive reaction to the idea of eliminating the retail tobacco exemption.” That’s from Albuquerque City Councilor Michael Cadigan as he dropped his proposal for extending the state’s smoking ban to include tobacco shops. His bill received what was termed an “unenthusiastic response.” Cadigan said he wanted to eliminate smoking in tobacco shops in order to protect neighboring businesses in strip malls. He was also targeting hookah bars which he says are bringing in younger smokers. Although safe for the moment, shops like Monte’s Cigars and Tobacco hardly feel safe. Owner Larry Monte told KOB-TV, “Government is not going to let us be. Why are they trying to save us from ourselves? That’s the question. What is the motivation behind this?” Total smoking bans are, unfortunately, not unheard of. Such bans are already in place on Alamogordo and Santa Fe in New Mexico and exist statewide in Washington. There is other legislative movement around the country, some of which needs your help: Of course, supermarkets which have pharmacies in them – an increasingly common feature in markets all across California – would not be affected! The ban would affect large retailers such as CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens, all of whom sell cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco at many of their locations statewide. Even Philip Morris, which has gone along with FDA oversight of tobacco, opposes this idea, saying that retailers should be able to determine what they should sell. “[Cigar Association of America] lobbyists and retail members in the state have made it clear that retail tobacco shops must be exempt. These calls for an exemption are being heard in the House. Though nothing has been officially introduced, an exemption for retail tobacco shops may be introduced later this week when the House reviews and revotes on the Senate's changes in HB 4163. “HB 4163 originally included several exemptions, specifically an exemption for retail tobacco shops. The House approved the bill and then passed the bill to the Senate for its approval. In the Senate, the legislation was stripped of all exemptions, including one for retail tobacconists. Because the original House bill was modified in the Senate, HB 4163 will have to be reconsidered by the House of Representatives.” |
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Did you know?
“Although the preferred humidity setting for cigars is 70%, temperature control of 70-75 F is equally important.
