Cigar Blog

Happiness is a good cigar

October 1: Buy Cigars In 5s

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Cigar

If you live in Baltimore, then you would know about this by now. In fact, I distinctly remember writing about this piece of legislation some time ago. I didn’t think that it would ever be passed for sure but I guess I was wrong. According to the Baltimore Examiner, starting October 1 of this year, you can only buy cheap cigars in packs of 5s. I guess it is not such a big deal for those who smoke regularly. Buying 5 cigars is not something unusual, especially if you buy the brand that you normally smoke.

What has gotten under my skin is the prevailing attitude that I am sensing regarding the issue. Take this quote from Mayor Sheila Dixon. According to the article I just read, she said “These products are addictive and deadly. And yet, cheap cigars often carry no health label at all.”

Addictive and deadly, ok. These could very well be true. But then again, cigar shop owners and cigar smokers do not force other people to buy them, right? I mean, everyone knows the potential health hazards that smoking cigars pose. This brings me to the second sentence – the one about the health labels. Come on now, cigarettes have labels all over them. Have these things stopped smokers from buying cartons upon cartons of cigarettes? In countries like Thailand, they even have gross pictures on the cartons, in an effort to discourage people from buying them. But do people stop? No!

All I am saying is that you can’t stop people from smoking if they want to. Don’t use that as an excuse for some politicking.

Originally posted on January 17, 2009 @ 10:03 am

No Individual Cigars For Prince George County

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When you buy cigars, how many do you buy at a time? I personally buy at least a bundle at a time only because I do not like having to keep going back to the shop when I need or want a cigar. I have to admit that sometimes, though, I buy only one. This is especially true when I am out of the house and I forget to bring a cigar with me. This can also happen when I am short of cash and I cannot really afford to buy more than one.

If you do buy cigars individually and you live in Prince George County, then you are crap out of luck as the County Council just passed a bill which disallows the sale of individual cigars. The rationale behind this move is to lessen the use of marijuana. Where is the connection?

Apparently, the youth in the area buy individual cigars not to smoke them but to use the wrapper to roll joints. This is the relatively cheap alternative to wrappers for joints. So, in an effort to make it more expensive for the young people, individual cigar sales are not allowed anymore. Another implication of t his bill is that cigars can fall under the legal definition of drug paraphernalia if used in the method described above.

I understand the rationale in theory but do they think that the measure will actually deter the youth from using marijuana? Come on now, let’s not fool ourselves…

Originally posted on November 21, 2008 @ 8:38 pm

Teen Cigar Smoking Up In Canada

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teen smoker
When should people start smoking? We all know that smoking has ill effects on our health. There is no going around that fact. Yet if you think like me, you also probably believe in the idea of free will. It is simply that people should be free to do what they want as long as they are not stepping on the freedom of other people. It makes sense, doesn’t it? But when it comes to smoking, is it ok to say that anyone should be allowed to smoke? Teenagers, for example?

I do not have a very solid argument against teenagers smoking but I do know that if I had a teenage son or daughter, I would not want them to be smoking. Maybe they can choose to do so on their own later in life, say when they get out of college, but at that age, that is not an option.

That is why I was disturbed by the news I read about teenagers getting into cigars and cigarillos. UPI reports:

Thirty-five percent of Canadian teens in grades 10 to 12 say they had tried cigars, cigarillos and little cigars, a survey indicates.
The Youth Smoking Survey released by the University of Waterloo also said that while 39.5 percent of boys and 30 percent of girls say they tried cigars, cigarillos and little cigars, 48 percent say they had tried cigarettes.

The survey of 71,000 students in Grades 5 to 12 in 467 schools across Canada conducted by the Centre for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation during the 2006-07 school year was funded by Health Canada.

Don’t you feel concern for such news?

Originally posted on June 24, 2008 @ 7:43 am