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48aplaNNeDreDucTioNTHefDaHasaroleTHaTTHeyreTryiNgTofulfillaNDTHaTisToreDuceTHelevelofmeNTHoliNsmokes.Commissionshows.NigerInnisnationalspokesmanfortheCongressofRacialEqualityacivilrightsgroupwasrecentlyquotedintheassayingIfthegovernmentisnotgoingtobanallcigarettesthentheobviousquestioniswhyshoulditselectivelybanthosecigarettesthatAfrican-AmericanspreferSpeakingfromtheretailersideeybetternotbanmentholsaysDavidLivingstonownerwithhiswifeJoanofTobaccoJunctionchainoffourstoresbasedinTempleTexas.egovernmentactedirrationallyandchildlikebybanningavorsandiftheybanmentholablackmarketwillexplodelikenoother.erewouldbesuchbacklashandriotsthatthiscountryhasntseensinceProhibition.Icantimaginetheywouldbethatstupid.Wereadult-onlyvenueswehavearighttosellmentholcigarettestolegal-agecustomers.BecauseLivingstondoesagoodbusinessinmentholandalsobecausehedoesntreallythinkabanwilltakeplacehelikemanyotherretailerstalkedtohasnotinformedhiscustomersofthementholcontroversy.epublicisntreallyawareofityetandthatsagoodthinghestated.ewaytheyreactedtoSCHIPpriceincreasestheywerethrowingthecigarettesbackatusafterwerangupthehigherpriceIdontthinkitsagoodideatogetthemredupaboutthis.Eventhosewhodontringupbigsalesinmentholcigarettesweighinthatabanonthecategoryiscounternotonlytotheevidencebutalsotorecenthistory.DarrenCollettownerofCollettEnterpriseswith19storesinSeymourIndianaadmitsthatwedontsellatremendousamountofmentholcigarettesbecausewereinaprettyruralareaandthedemographicsofourcustomersarenotmentholcustomers.Neverthelessherecognizesthatmentholsbeenaroundformanymanyyearsunlikesomeoftheavorsthatweredrivenoutcherryvanillawhichwererelativelynewtotheindustry.Tobanastaplelikementholthatsbeenaroundinthetobaccoindustryforsomanyyearsthatwouldreallyconcernmehesaysaddingthathedoesntseeithappening.Butabanonmentholisnttheonlynegativeconsequencethatcouldcomefromallofthis.ewayFrankArmstrongownerofBlueRidgeTobaccoandCandleOutletsinWinston-SalemNorthCarolinaseesitafterthementholcontroversyisallsaidanddonetheindustrywillprobablybefacedwithaplannedreductionoftobaccomenthollevels.MypersonalopinionisthattheFDAhasarolethattheyretryingtofulllandthatistoreducethelevelofmentholinsmokesArmstrongasserts.Atsomepointtheyregoingtogureoutwhatleveltheywanttoreduceittoandthatsgoingtobetheproblem.Ifyoulookattraditionalcigarettesovertimewehadasimilarreductionintarlevels.AnotherplausibleoptionMorningstaranalystPhilipGorhamrecentlytoldthethatthepreliminaryRichmondTimes-DispatchTOBLosAngelesTimesTOBACCOOUTLETBUSINESSMARCHAPRIL2011