For the last three years or so electronic cigarettes have essentially been the wild west of the tobacco world. But now, the FDA says you have to be at least 18-years-old to buy e-cigs or cigars.
While tougher restrictions on cigar sales were not immediately announced, the FDA has indicated they are opening up to public comment on what further regulation they should implement on premium cigars like Arturo Fuente, Macanudo, Ashton, and others.
"It's like going on a blind date and deciding the man or woman you're supposed to be meeting for dinner is too ugly to be seen with before they even show up," CigarsCity.com, an online cigar retailer said in an emailed statement. "We can't sit back and wait for the government to regulate premium cigars. Now is the time for our voice to be heard."What a joke.
First of all, I get it - nicotine is an addictive drug. You don't want to get children hooked on a drug they don't understand and put them on a path to potential health issues.
However, we still don't know what health impacts, if any, e-cigs have on long-term health. Without the tar, smoke, and some of the other harmful elements of normal cigarettes, the data just isn't there yet.
But, rather than err on the side of liberty, the government is going to regulate it.
Things like indoor smoking restrictions now apply to e-cigarettes. What percentage of the American population has even been around an e-cig and knows the smell (or lack thereof)?
Now, premium cigars are up next and could face additional restriction from the laws already in place. If the statement from the site CigarsCity.com is any indication, the cigar aficionados in the United States are preparing for war.