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ANTE UP AT THE POKER SMOKER!

Plus: study shows smoking bans hurt restaurant and bar business by up to 24%

Los Angeles, April 22 – Since California passed one of the nation’s toughest anti-smoking laws in 1998, it’s hard to find good places to smoke. Yamashiro, one of L.A.’s top Japanese dinner spots, is trying to change that.

It will be the site of a unique “PokerSmoker” coming up on May 5, co-sponsored by Caribe Imported Cigars, makers of the sensational Camacho Corojo line, and Smoke magazine.

The evening features cocktails, a brilliant dinner, a spot in the evening’s regional Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament, plus a box of Camacho cigars! The winner of the evening card play will receive a year’s worth of Camacho – 365 cigars in all – and an invite to the national PokerSmoker final in Reno, Nevada.

And you can smoke all you want . . . outdoors, of course, in Yamashiro’s luxurious terrace surrounding its koi pond (no barbecuing the koi, please), overlooking the Hollywood Hills and down across the near-endless Los Angeles basin.

Tickets are regularly $175, but readers of this space can obtain theirs for $145 by sending an inquiry to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . You’ll receive back a special order form for discounted entry.

The grand prize for the winner of the PokerSmoker final in Reno is an all-expense-paid vacation to the Camacho factory in Danli, Honduras!

Study shows Smoking Bans are bad for business:
The Fair Air Association of Canada and the Pub and Bar Coalition of Canada released a comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of smoking bans on bars and pubs.

The report was based on a review of the Canadian government’s internal sales and tax receipts from 2000 to 2003 and was conducted by economist Dr. Michael Evans, a former advisor to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Treasury.

The figures showed that smoking bans coincided with substantial declines in major cities in the province of Ontario during the four-year period of review. In Ottawa – the national capital – bar and pub sales were reduced by 23.5%; in London, by 18.7%;, in Kingston, nearly a quarter: 24.3% and in Kitchener, 20.4%.

“Government data clearly demonstrates smoking bans materially reduce sales in bars and nightclubs,” noted Evans. “The evidence is quite clear. To suggest that smoking bans don’t have a dramatic negative impact on bar sales would be an opinion – not fact.”

The report is especially important for Ontario, where the hospitality industry is reportedly the largest employer in the province, with more than 500,000 jobs. Not that this will make any difference to the anti-smoking movement, which will likely suggest that taxes be raised to put unemployed hospitality workers on welfare as long as they refrain from doing anything that other anti-something movements disapprove of . . .

California legislators out for Arnold’s cigars:
In another example of why the California Legislature has become one of the most-laughable governmental institutions in the nation, a bill was approved in an Assembly (lower house) Committee to ban smoking in the courtyards of State-owned buildings.

There aren’t that many State buildings with courtyards, but the building that houses the Office of the Governor has one and it’s where California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has his famous smoking tent, a 20-foot-square outdoor space that has become an icon of his administration in Sacramento.

It’s the latest effort in a coordinated attack on Schwarzenegger on every side that Democratic legislators (a solid majority in California) and allied groups can think of. Television and radio commercials of disputed factual accuracy are running statewide accusing the Governor of not giving interest groups with politically active unions more money, primarily nurses, school teachers and public employee unions.

The people of California will have their say on the matter in November, as the stalemate between the Governor and the Legislature will be resolved through the Golden State’s favorite tool, the ballot initiative.

Bonus Rankings Flipbook Offer!
Subscribers to our CigarWire service already have access to our exclusive rankings of the top mild, medium and full-bodied cigars. Why not join them?

Through the month of April, you can get our all-in-one package of (1) one-year subscription to our value-packed CigarWire, (2) one copy of our 600-page Perelman’s Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars for 2005, (3) one copy of our newPerelman’s Pocket Cyclopedia of Havana Cigars (third edition) plus (4) our 24-page, vest-pocket-sized 2004 Rankings Flipbook!

That’s normally a $61.85 value with shipping, but we’re offering all of this at 23% off at our special, discounted price of $47.50 through the end of April only.

Your subscription will also include our “Week in Review” newsletter sent each Thursday with a summary of our top stories of the week!
~ Rich Perelman

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