David Ozgo, President of the Cigar Association of America, makes the point that cigar enthusiasts should be granted the same freedom as alcohol and cannabis users in an article in today’s Orange County Register.
Recently introduced legislation, Assembly Bill 935, would ban the sale of all tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2007, effectively enacting a prospective tobacco prohibition in California.
If the intent of AB 935 is to improve public health, a noble goal, it may be applauded. However, while there are legal and other questions about the bill, what is not in doubt is the perpetual failure of prohibition as a public policy strategy.
We should know better. Alcohol prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933, when the 21st Amendment was ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and permitting states to decide for themselves whether to allow alcohol sales.
Read more: Orange County Register
