Please note that any information provided below is done so as a courtesy to Milan Tobacconists' customers and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Milan staff. Give us a call toll free at 877.70MILAN or send an email to customercare@milantobacco.com if you have questions, concerns, or comments!
Please click on the links below to view an announcement of particular interest or scroll down the page to view all announcements: »  Why H.R. 792 Is Important to Premium Cigar Smokers (3/12/13) »  Food and Drug Administration vs. Premium Cigars and Pipe Tobacco (8/14/12) »  Help Protect Premium Cigars from Food and Drug Administration Regulation (4/16/12) - UPDATED 5/1/12 »  Letter to FDA Urges Strong Regulation for Tobacco Products - Take Action! (10/24/11) »  Take Action to Garner Support for the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing & Small Business Jobs Preservation Act! (8/12/11) »  IPCPR Asks Consumers to Speak Out Against FDA Control of the Premium Cigar Industry - Action Alert! (3/30/11) »  IPCPR Says Proposed Maryland Tobacco Tax Increase is Anti-Business (3/3/11) »  FDA Issues Another Notice of Proposed Rule to Focus on Cigar Regulations - By David and Renée Meyer (12/27/10) »  Ban on Mailing Tobacco DOES NOT Apply to Cigars and Pipe Tobacco - By David and Renée Meyer (6/25/10) »  FDA Issues Notice of Proposed Rule to Focus on Cigar Regulations - By David and Renée Meyer (4/29/10) »  Parade Magazine Runs "Junk Science" Study Article (4/11/10) »  IPCPR Update on Proposed Federal Pipe Tobacco Tax Increase (HR 4439) (2/26/10) »  Brothers and Sisters of the Briar Gather Worldwide at Noon on Saturday, February 20th. (2/19/10) »  IPCPR Provides a Legislative Action Alert Link to Make Your Voice Heard on HR 4439 (1/25/10) »  Our Perspective on HR 4439 – The Tobacco Tax Parity Act of 2010 - By David and Renée Meyer, Owners of Milan Tobacconists (1/24/10) »  Learn About Tobacco Legislation In Your State
Why H.R. 792 Is Important to Premium Cigar Smokers (3/12/13) Between April 26, 2010, and December 21, 2012, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) publicly posted their intent to deem cigars as subject to federal regulation. According to Cigar Rights of America (CRA), some measures the FDA may consider include: Ban walk-in humidors, self serve cigar displays, and mail-order cigar sales; Ban flavored cigars that are enjoyed by adults; Deface with grotesque images ornate, decorative cigar boxes often considered an art form; Ban cigar events where free cigars (samples) could be available to adults; Limit cigar marketing and advertising; Impose new 'user fees' [taxes] on cigars to finance regulations; Limit special release and small-batch cigars by mandating that cigar blends be submitted to FDA for pre-approval before release; Limit nicotine levels on cigars to near zero, severely impacting the flavor of cigars; and Ban marketing of cigar-related merchandise. The bill H.R. 792 - Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2013 was filed in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 15, 2013, with the intent to amend the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) jurisdiction over certain tobacco products and to protect jobs and small businesses involved in the sale, manufacturing, and distribution of traditional and premium cigars. The bipartisan legislation currently enjoys 27 cosponsors and will exempt premium and traditional cigars from FDA regulation if passed. CRA offers a quick and easy way for you to contact your state representative and urge him/her to support H.R. 792 via this link -> Take Action Today! Milan Tobacconists is a member of the CRA. To learn more about this organization, please visit www.cigarrights.org.
Food and Drug Administration vs. Premium Cigars and Pipe Tobacco (8/14/12) We wanted to take a moment to update you on the latest with regard to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) tobacco regulation. At the forefront of this epic battle to uphold our rights are the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) and Cigar Rights of America (CRA), and we're very glad they're there. The IPCPR and CRA announced to its members at last week's IPCPR Convention that after 474 days and over 300 Congressional briefings, a working majority (219) of the United States House of Representatives had signed onto H.R. 1639 as co-sponsors, sending the loud and clear message that premium cigars should not be subject to FDA tobacco regulations. A companion bill in the Senate also has very strong bipartisan support. The FDA has not yet proposed any specific regulations regarding premium cigars or pipe tobacco, but it does say a strategy to regulate tobacco products beyond those already regulated is being developed. The head of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products Dr. Lawrence Deyton advised that the process for issuing regulations was more complicated than originally thought. The FDA recently stated that it intends to issue this summer “deeming regulations” covering additional tobacco products under the Tobacco Control Act. The notice indicates that FDA has the authority to regulate cigars, cigarillos, hookah tobacco and e-cigarettes, but does not indicate whether all of these products will be covered by the deeming regulations (or whether pipe tobacco will also be covered). It neither specifies the tobacco products to be regulated or ways in which those products will be regulated. Summer is almost over, so we are now looking to October for an update from the FDA. Of course, we'll post updates here as they become available. CRA offers a quick and easy way for you to take action and share your thoughts via this link -> Take Action Today! Milan Tobacconists is a member of both the IPCRP and CRA. To learn more about these organizations, please visit www.ipcpr.org and www.cigarrights.org.
Help Protect Premium Cigars from Food and Drug Administration Regulation (4/16/12) - UPDATED 5/1/12 International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) and Cigar Rights of America (CRA) have teamed up to submit a formal petition to the White House's "We the People" petition website in their ongoing efforts to prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from regulating premium cigars. In summary, the petition asks the Obama Administration to keep the FDA out of our humidors and states the ramifications if the FDA is not stopped. Twenty-five thousand signatures are needed by May 11th in order for the petition to be reviewed by the Obama Administration, and as of this writing over 10,750 supporters have added their voices! Cigar Rights of America's Executive Director Glynn Loope said of the petition effort, “It’s time for those that simply want to enjoy a great cigar to become a true political constituency. It’s an election year, and both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue need to know that there are thousands of voters, passionate about their cigars, that will vote this fall based upon who will stay out of their humidor. The FDA is controlled by the President’s administration, so it was time to send them a message.” Please sign the petition today -> White House Petition. Thank you in advance for your support! UPDATE (5/1/12): We'd like to thank all of our cigar smoking friends for answering the call to sign the White House Petition asking the President to keep the FDA from regulating premium cigars! You'll be pleased to know this group of overachievers came up with 26,100+ signatures (and counting) in just a couple of weeks, well over the 25,000 needed by the 11th. To our protectors of such liberties ~ Cigar Rights of America and the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association ~ our gratitude. Milan Tobacconists is a member of both the IPCRP and CRA. To learn more about these organizations, please visit www.ipcpr.org and www.cigarrights.org.
Letter to FDA Urges Strong Regulation for Tobacco Products (10/24/11) U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued a letter dated October 14, 2011, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Commissioner requesting that the agency "move swiftly to issue a strong regulation that would legally treat or deem all tobacco products, including cigars, pipe tobacco, and hookah tobacco and accessories, as subject to the Tobacco Control Act." The senators also requested a meeting with the commissioner to receive an update on the FDA’s progress regarding a regulation of other tobacco products and the time frame for the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products to complete this regulation. The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) believes the letter is further proof that action is required to ensure passage of H.R. 1639 and S. 1461, bills drafted to protect the rights of cigar and pipe smokers, and the organization urges consumers and retailers to visit the IPCPR Legislative Action Center to support these bills -> www.ipcpr.org/legislation.html
Take Action to Garner Support for the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing & Small Business Jobs Preservation Act! (8/12/11) The fight to prevent the Food & Drug Administration from controlling the premium cigar industry continues. Last week, Florida Senators Bill Nelson (D) and Marco Rubio (R) introduced Senate Bill 1461, the "Traditional Cigar Manufacturing & Small Business Jobs Preservation Act." This legislation targets removal of the FDA's jurisdiction over the premium cigar industry by amending the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This bill is the companion bill to HR 1639, which was introduced in May of this year by lawmakers and pro-cigar lobbying groups Cigar Rights of America (CRA) and the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) as a cooperative effort. Milan Tobacconists is a member of both groups. The IPCPR makes it quick and easy for retailers and consumers alike to contact their respective senators and urge cosponsorship of Senate Bill 1461. Please take just a few minutes to do so by visiting IPCPR's Legislative Action Center -> www.ipcpr.org/legislation.html
IPCPR Asks Consumers to Speak Out Against FDA Control of the Premium Cigar Industry - Action Alert! (3/30/11) The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) is presently working with its federal lobbyists and Capitol Hill supporters to introduce legislation that would define a premium cigar, and call for its exemption from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority. According to IPCPR, "This legislation may be one of the greatest fights we have yet to take on and we will be counting on your support. In the coming weeks, we will launch our grassroots campaign for the premium cigar definition and its exclusion from FDA authority. Do not talk yourself into believing such restrictions on cigars and premium tobaccos will never happen. It has already happened in Ontario, Canada, and parts of Europe." We hope you'll take a few minutes of your time to share your thoughts on the subject with your local representatives and senators by visiting IPCPR's Legislative Action Center -> www.ipcpr.org/legislation.html Courtesy of the IPCPR of which Milan Tobacconists is a member. To learn more about the IPCPR, please visit www.ipcpr.org.
IPCPR Says Proposed Maryland Tobacco Tax Increase is Anti-Business (3/3/11) A proposed 500 percent excise tax increase on ‘other tobacco products’ could decimate Maryland’s cigar and pipe tobacco businesses, according to the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR). Maryland House Bill 853 and Senate Bill 654 both propose to increase the excise tax rate on tobacco products other than cigarettes from 15 percent to 90 percent with a $3 cap on cigars. “When will legislators realize that tax increases like this never produce the revenues predicted and always result in negative consequences like lost jobs and businesses?” asked Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR. “In a small state like Maryland, tobacco customers can easily cross to another state or make their purchases online and pay little to no state or local taxes.” According to the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan educational organization founded in 1937, Maryland was the only state to raise every major tax in 2008 in order to fund new spending programs, including doubling of its cigarette tax from $1 to $2 per pack. The Foundation said the tax increase served to introduce record levels of bootlegged product into the state, hurt local businesses by sending thousands of the state’s smokers to surrounding states to purchase their tobacco products, and generated only half the revenue increase predicted by tax supporters. In addition, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIP) is funded solely by excise taxes on tobacco products. CHIP raised federal taxes on cigarettes to more than $10 per carton and on roll-your-own tobacco from about $1.10 per pound to $24.78 per pound – a 2,253 percent increase. “Now the Maryland legislature is considering raising excise taxes yet again on other tobacco products from the current 15 percent of the wholesale price to 90 percent,” McCalla said. McCalla believes the only result that would be sure to take place from such an action is the further destruction of Maryland small businesses, which includes the loss of jobs and state, federal and local tax revenues. “Premium cigars are highly sensitive to price increases because they are more a choice than a habit. They are adult products that make ordinary moments special and special moments extraordinary, like a fine wine,” he said. McCalla urged Maryland smokers and nonsmokers alike to tell their state senators and delegates to vote no on tax increases such as these. Courtesy of the IPCPR of which Milan Tobacconists is a member. To learn more about the IPCPR, please visit www.ipcpr.org.
FDA Issues Another Notice of Proposed Rule to Focus on Cigar Regulations - By David and Renée Meyer (12/27/10) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submitted a new notice in the Federal Register: December 20, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 243) entitled "325. CIGARS SUBJECT TO THE FAMILY SMOKING PREVENTION AND TOBACCO CONTROL ACT." Identical to the first abstract provided by the FDA in April 2010 (see third article below), this abstract states, "The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (the Tobacco Control Act) provides FDA authority to regulate cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco. Section 901 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Tobacco Control Act, permits FDA to issue regulations deeming other tobacco products to be subject to the Tobacco Control Act. This proposed rule would deem cigars to be subject to the Tobacco Control Act and include provisions to address public health concerns raised by cigars." A timetable of June 2011 was given for publication of the proposed rule, and the need for a "Regulatory Flexibility Analysis" was indicated. The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires that agencies such as the FDA publish semiannual regulatory agendas in the Federal Register describing regulatory actions they are developing that may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This particular agenda certainly would in our opinion. When the FDA publishes its proposed rule in June 2011 regarding the regulation of cigars, the public will be allowed to submit comments to the rule. In the event you wish to begin your letter/email writing campaign sooner rather than later, we have listed below the updated contact information provided by the FDA in its notice to the Federal Register: May Nelson, Regulatory Counsel Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration 9200 Corporate Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: 877 287-1373 Fax: 240 276-3904 Email: may.nelson@fda.hhs.gov We still won't speculate on the impact of this proposed rule, but will continue to keep a watchful eye and post new developments here.
Ban on Mailing Tobacco DOES NOT Apply to Cigars and Pipe Tobacco - By David and Renée Meyer (6/25/10) New restrictions on mailing tobacco products will take effect on June 29th, but they DO NOT apply to cigars and pipe tobacco. Please read the press release below issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS) on June 17th: "New Mailing Rules for Tobacco Products Set for Summer Changes to law restrict mailing of tobacco products WASHINGTON — To comply with legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products will be subject to new mailing regulations effective June 29, 2010. The law, Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act, Public Law No. 111-154, was signed into law March 31. With only a few limited exceptions, the Postal Service will no longer be allowed to accept or transport packages containing cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products. The general mailability ban will extend to cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco. The prohibition does not include cigars. Shipments entirely within Alaska and Hawaii will continue, subject to certain labeling and acceptance requirements. The law does permit infrequent lightweight shipments by age-verified adults to recipients who are at least the age of majority for purchase of tobacco. Shipments between businesses in the tobacco industry will also be permitted, as well as cigarettes sent to consumers age 21 and above for testing or public health purposes. Most shipments will require photo identification and age verification consistent with the minimum age requirements in the locality of destination. With the exception of shipments entirely within Alaska and Hawaii, shipments are permitted only via Express Mail and, with the exception of shipments from the United States to APO/FPO/DPO destinations, will be delivered using “hold for pickup” service at the destination Post Office." Milan Tobacconists continues to offer both USPS and UPS delivery services to our Internet and mail order customers, and we appreciate your business!
FDA Issues Notice of Proposed Rule to Focus on Cigar Regulations - By David and Renée Meyer (4/29/10) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submitted a notice in the Federal Register: April 26, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 79) entitled "CIGARS SUBJECT TO THE FAMILY SMOKING PREVENTION AND TOBACCO CONTROL ACT." The abstract provided by the FDA states, "The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (the Tobacco Control Act) provides FDA authority to regulate cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco. Section 901 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Tobacco Control Act, permits FDA to issue regulations deeming other tobacco products to be subject to the Tobacco Control Act. This proposed rule would deem cigars to be subject to the Tobacco Control Act and include provisions to address public health concerns raised by cigars." A timetable of June 2010 was given for publication of the proposed rule, and the need for a "Regulatory Flexibility Analysis" was indicated. The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires that agencies such as the FDA publish semiannual regulatory agendas in the Federal Register describing regulatory actions they are developing that may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This particular agenda certainly would in our opinion. When the FDA publishes its proposed rule in June regarding the regulation of cigars, the public will be allowed to submit comments to the rule. In the event you wish to begin your letter/email writing campaign sooner rather than later, we have listed below the contact information provided by the FDA in its notice to the Federal Register: Ms. May Nelson Regulatory Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition 5100 Paint Branch Parkway College Park, MD 20740 Phone: 877.287.1373 Fax: 240.276.3904 Email: may.nelson@fda.hhs.gov We won't speculate on the impact of this proposed rule, but we will certainly keep a watchful eye and post new developments here.
Parade Magazine Runs "Junk Science" Study Article (4/11/10) Following the recently released "study" linking Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to pipe and cigar smoking, which was immediately rebutted by the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) with a nationally-distributed press release, Parade Magazine ran a related article in its April 11th print edition and on its website. We wanted to share with you the IPCPR's release, which states in summary that the study proved flawed based on misinformation. The full release follows: Conclusions made by a new study of cigar and pipe smoking by researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center are not supported by the study's findings, says the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association, a non-profit group of premium cigar retailers and manufacturers. The study, published in the Feb. 15 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, was funded primarily by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institutes of Health. The study concludes that "physicians should... counsel cessation of pipe and cigar smoking...." "Nothing in the study justifies this erroneous conclusion. It is prejudicial and preconceived, thereby justifying the labeling of such surveys as corrupt misuse of junk science," said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR, which is comprised largely of some 2,000 neighborhood mom-and-pop retail stores and family-owned manufacturers of premium cigars, pipes, tobacco, and related accoutrements. McCalla cited several features of the study that he said support his group's position: Of 3,528 participants in the study, only 58 had ever smoked cigars or pipes and not cigarettes, and only 428 had smoked pipes or cigars along with cigarettes. Only 47 of the subjects were current cigar smokers, of which only 16 were current cigar smokers who had never smoked cigarettes. Of the cigar smokers, 95 percent were male, but only 34 percent of non-smokers were men. There was no effort in the study to determine the type of cigar smoked - machine-made or premium, hand-made cigars. The study showed no clinical effect on lung function in cigar smokers. There were no differences in airflow obstruction between cigar smokers and non-smokers. Cotinine levels (a form of nicotine) were similar in cigar smokers and non-smokers. "The study found no clinical differences between cigar smokers and non-smokers and to draw conclusions to the contrary is to participate in a conspiracy of public misinformation and deception," McCalla said.
IPCPR Update on Proposed Federal Pipe Tobacco Tax Increase (HR 4439) (2/26/10) As of today, H.R. 4439 - the proposed federal legislation to increase the pipe tobacco tax to the same rate of the roll your own tobacco tax - has little life or attention in Congress. Lobbyists from the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR), the Pipe Tobacco Council (a division of the Cigar Association of America (CAA)), and others have met with key members of Congress to discuss and detail our industry's opposition to the bill. H.R. 4439 is currently sitting in the U.S. House of Representatives' Ways & Means Committee. No hearings or further action has been scheduled at this time nor does the IPCRP expect any immediate action. Several more meetings are scheduled with Congress in the coming days. Courtesy of the IPCPR of which Milan Tobacconists is a member. To learn more about the IPCPR, please visit www.ipcpr.org.
Brothers and Sisters of the Briar Gather Worldwide at Noon on Saturday, February 20th. (2/19/10) St. Louis, Missouri, will be a center of the pipe smoking world at noon this Saturday, February 20th. That’s when International Pipe Smoking Day will be celebrated at the 22nd Annual Gateway Area Pipe Show at the Heart of St. Charles Banquet Center. Local briar lovers will be raising their pipes in a salute to their pipe smoking brothers and sisters around the world as a show of friendship and unity that reaches across all borders, according to Bob Callaway, spokesperson for the St. Louis Pipe Club, sponsor of the show. International Pipe Smoking Day was designated by a group on Smokers Forums three years ago as a day on which pipe smokers everywhere could tell their story and educate others about the rich history and traditions of the noble art of pipe smoking. The group dedicated it to the worldwide community of pipe smokers that is bound together by a shared love of pipes, pipe collecting, and the social aspect of pipe smoking. They respect informed choice and the responsible adult use of smoking tobacco and envision a world where governments act in good faith and integrity. "International Pipe Smoking Day provides an opportunity for briar lovers everywhere to stand up and demonstrate with pride that we are still enjoying our pipes despite all the restrictions and increased tobacco taxes that the anti-tobacco forces have imposed on us. They just don't understand the significant benefits that pipe smoking offers," Callaway said. International Pipe Smoking Day is supported by the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) of some 2,000 retailers of premium tobacco products, including Milan Tobacconists; the International Committee of Pipe Clubs, which has members in more than 25 countries; and by the United Pipe Clubs of America, with its more than 20 member clubs in the United States. Many other pipe clubs in this country and abroad also will hold special events on or around February 20 to mark the day. "Our motto is 'Relax with Your Pipe' and that's the idea we want to get across," says Vernon Vig, President of UPCA which, according to the organization’s website, was founded in 2002 to promote and protect the interests of the American pipe smoking community. "Pipe smokers are mature, considerate adults. We don't want to bother anyone, and all we ask in return is a little common sense and consideration on the part of others," said Vig. For more information, visit www.ipsd.eu; www.unitedpipeclubs.org, www.smokersforums.co.uk, and www.pipeclubs.com.
IPCPR Provides a Legislative Action Alert Link to Make Your Voice Heard on HR 4439 (1/25/10) As of today, HR 4439 (see article below) still remains quiet in the House Ways and Means Committee. No hearing or other action has been scheduled at this writing. However, with the groundswell of grassroots efforts that has developed among pipe smokers, retailers, and others in opposition to HR 4439, the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) has proactively initiated a Legislative Action Alert to complement and support this movement, complete with suggested talking points. Please click the link below to make your voice heard on this issue: * IPCPR Legislative Action Alert Page * We continue to closely monitor any news or progress and will provide updates accordingly.
Learn About Tobacco Legislation In Your State If you are interested in learning about current smoking-related legislation in your state, we suggest visiting the International Premium Cigars and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) legislation webpage -> www.ipcpr.org/legislation.html.

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