26
TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012
TMA REPORT
cigars should take into consideration that “premium
cigars have unique characteristics and cost prohibi-
tive price points and are not marketed to kids,” HR
1639
sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bill Posey (R-Florida)
that seeks to
exempt premium hand-rolled cigars
from FDA regulation gained over 200 co-sponsors,
while S 1461, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-
Florida), has over 10 co-sponsors.
…
The FDA Center for Tobacco Products sent a
warning letter to
of Jakarta,
Indonesia, stating that the Djarum Black Cappuc-
cino cigarettes it offers for sale to U.S. customers
are adulterated under the
Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act
,
as amended by the
Family Smoking
Prevention and Tobacco Control Act,
because they
are purported to contain a
“
characterizing flavor”
in
violation of the Act’s ban on “an artificial or natural
flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or
spice.” CTP also sent a similar warning letter to www.
kretek-taste.com, a web site in the United Kingdom,
also for Djarum Black Cappuccino cigarettes.
…
A report entitled
“
Tobacco Money in Cali-
fornia Politics”
released by the Center for Tobacco
Policy & Organizing, part of the American Lung As-
sociation in California, says that in the first year of the
2011-2012
election cycle, “tobacco interests” spent
$3.6 million on campaign contributions and another
$1.1 million on lobbying lawmakers on policy issues,
including the defeated June 2012 Prop. 29 ballot ini-
tiative to raise the state’s excise tax on cigarettes and
other tobacco products.
…
The U.S. House and Senate leaders agreed
on final language for a two-year Federal highway
funding bill, which includes a provision to classify
retailers who operate roll-your-own cigarette ma-
chines
as manufacturers and subject them to ap-
plicable taxes and Federal and State regulations, in-
cluding those for licensing. The House and Senate
were expected to vote on the new highway funding
bill conference report today, a day before the cur-
rent funding bill expires. (See story, p. 42)
…
In New York State, legislation that would
have taxed cigarettes made in
roll-your-own retail-
ers
at the same level as manufactured cigarettes
passed the Democrat-led Assembly in the regular
session that ended June 21, but never made it to
the Republican-led Senate, following which the
American Cancer Society’s Russ Scandra said that
Roll Your Own Machine’s “$10,000-a-month lobby-
ist was able to block a bill that would stop tax eva-
sion.”
…
Granting a request by Pasco, Washing-
ton resident Dana Henne, smokeshop 1/2 Price
Smokes and Ohio-based
roll-your-own machine
supplier
RYO Machine, LLC, Franklin County
Superior Court Judge Spanner on June 25 is-
sued a preliminary injunction against a new state
law that required RYO stores to collect the state’s
$3.025-per-pack cigarette tax on store-rolled
cigarettes, starting July 1, noting that the
measure violates a 2010 voter-approved
initiative requiring two-thirds of lawmakers to sup-
port tax increases.
TOB
On SOCIETY & POLITICS …
On RYO Machines …
