Our industry is facing threats from unnecessary, misguided regulation at the federal, state, and local levels. Right now one of the largest threats is right here in California. SB 793, which would ban all flavors in ALL cigars, including premium cigars, was passed by the Assembly Health Committee and sent to the Appropriations Committee. The Health Committee tried to save premium cigars from this regulatory overreach, but the bill as written currently fails to do so for the following reasons:
- SB 793’s current definition of “premium” cigar includes a wholesale price of no less than $12, which will not remove most premium cigars from this ban on flavored products.
- The bill does not fully exempt premium cigars from its provisions, as it does hookah and loose leaf tobacco.
- Cigars, and especially premium cigars, should be treated the same way as these products, yet the bill treats premium cigars differently.
CAA has been fighting for years to protect the entire cigar industry, including the premium cigar category. CAA has put together thousands of pages of advocacy and research detailing why youth usage of cigars – and of flavored cigars – is a red herring. Youth do not use these flavored products in the same way they use other flavored tobacco and nicotine products, and almost non-existent youth usage of cigars and of flavored cigars has been on a continual downward trend over the past six years.
FDA’s own scientific research (commonly referred to as the PATH Study), unequivocally demonstrates that:
- Youth usage of cigars of any kind, including flavored cigars, is low and declining.
- Available medical research, including primarily research conducted by or on behalf of FDA, shows that for cigar smokers who smoke cigars less than daily:
- There is no statistical difference in mortality rates vs. non-smokers;
- There is no increased risk for smoking related cancers and no increased risk of death from all causes and certain specific causes; and
- There is no increased health risk vs. non-smokers.
- Youth usage of premium cigars, including flavored premium cigars, is virtually non-existent as shown by a youth premium cigar prevalence (ages 12-17) of 0.02% in Wave 3 of the PATH Study.
- The average age of online purchasers of flavored premium cigars was 52.0 years old and the median age was 53.0 years old.
- Among adult users of premium cigars 96.1% smoke cigars less than daily.
SB 793 is now with the Appropriations Committee, where we have a chance to defeat it and prevent both harm to our industry and a decrease in tax revenue for California. The bill analysis done by the legislature found that California would lose an estimated $407 million in sales and excise taxes in just the first two years if this bill were to pass! The state is already looking at a $54 billion state deficit that is growing as this pandemic continues to affect how the state operates.
Please contact your State Legislators and tell them to exclude cigars from SB 793 just as the legislature has done with hookah and loose leaf tobacco.
The data is clear. Youth usage of flavored cigars is declining. A flavor ban will have serious adverse financial impacts on your business, particularly now when brick and mortar stores are seeking to survive and rebuild during this ongoing pandemic. Speak with your State Legislator, share your story with them, educate them, and ask them to exempt cigars, particularly premium cigars, from this bill.
Below are the Members of the House Appropriations Committee to contact:
| Committee Members | District | Office & Contact Information |
| Lorena Gonzalez (Chair) | Dem – 80 | Contact Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez
Capitol Office, Room 2114 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0080; (916) 319-2080 |
| Frank Bigelow (Vice Chair) | Rep – 05 | Contact Assembly Member Frank Bigelow
Capitol Office, Room 4158 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0005; (916) 319-2005 |
| Rebecca Bauer-Kahan | Dem – 16 | Contact Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
Capitol Office, Room 2130 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0016; (916) 319-2016 |
| Richard Bloom | Dem – 50 | Contact Assembly Member Richard Bloom
Capitol Office, Room 2003 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0050; (916) 319-2050 |
| Rob Bonta | Dem – 18 | Contact Assembly Member Rob Bonta
Capitol Office, Room 2148 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0018; (916) 319-2018 |
| Ian C. Calderon | Dem – 57 | Contact Assembly Member Ian C. Calderon
Capitol Office, Room 319 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0057; (916) 319-2057 |
| Wendy Carrillo | Dem – 51 | Contact Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo
Capitol Office, Room 4167 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0051; (916) 319-2051 |
| Ed Chau | Dem – 49 | Contact Assembly Member Ed Chau
Capitol Office, Room 5016 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0049; (916) 319-2049 |
| Megan Dahle | Rep – 01 | Contact Assembly Member Megan Dahle
Capitol Office, Room 4208 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0001; (916) 319-2001 |
| Tyler Diep | Rep – 72 | Contact Assembly Member Tyler Diep
Capitol Office, Room 4153 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0072; (916) 319-2072 |
| Susan Talamantes Eggman | Dem – 13 | Contact Assembly Member Susan Talamantes Eggman
Capitol Office, Room 4117 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0013; (916) 319-2013 |
| Vince Fong | Rep – 34 | Contact Assembly Member Vince Fong
Capitol Office, Room 2002 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0034; (916) 319-2034 |
| Jesse Gabriel | Dem – 45 | Contact Assembly Member Jesse Gabriel
Capitol Office, Room 4139 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0045; (916) 319-2045 |
| Eduardo Garcia | Dem – 56 | Contact Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia
Capitol Office, Room 4140 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0056; (916) 319-2056 |
| Cottie Petrie-Norris | Dem – 74 | Contact Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris
Capitol Office, Room 4144 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0074; (916) 319-2074 |
| Bill Quirk | Dem – 20 | Contact Assembly Member Bill Quirk
Capitol Office, Room 2163 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0020; (916) 319-2020 |
| Robert Rivas | Dem – 30 | Contact Assembly Member Robert Rivas
Capitol Office, Room 5158 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0030; (916) 319-2030 |
