BobbyC |
| Member since: 4/9/2004 |
| Location:USA |
| Topics: 5 |
| Replies: 1 |
|
 Posted
on 8/25/2004 |
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*** FAMOUS-SMOKE.COM SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ***
August 25, 2004
Dear Famous Smoke Shop Customer,
PLEASE READ the following important messages with regard to pending
legislation that would permit the FDA to REGULATE AND TAX the sale
of ALL tobacco products INCLUDING CIGARS and pipe tobacco. The second
message is from Norman Sharp, President of the Cigar Association of
America. I realize this email is lengthy, but please take the time
to read it and send a letter (a sample of which follows Norman's
remarks), to the representatives on the list (also provided). YOUR
CIGAR-SMOKING FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. Here's why:
If this bill passes into law, it would grant the FDA UNLIMITED regulatory
power. That means tobacco would be regulated as are pharmaceuticals. This
alone would put many smaller manufacturers out of business, as they would
not have the wherewithal to comply with the rules.
Additionally, under the new pending legislation, it may become a fact that
Famous Smoke Shop and other Internet and mail order companies would be
PROHIBITED FROM ENGAGING IN INTERSTATE COMMERCE. Or, at minimum, we would
be REQUIRED TO COLLECT TAXES IN EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE STATES. This would
not be a legislative decision, but a unilateral mandate created solely
under the umbrella phrase, "appropriate for the protection of public
health."
WORST CASE SCENARIO: The new FDA authority would give the Federal Govt.
DE FACTO POWER TO BAN ALL CONVENTIONAL TOBACCO PRODUCTS, cigars included.
Again, this would fall under the umbrella in the proposed legislation of
their definition of "appropriate for the protection of public health."
Finally, the Senate version of the bill would grant the Federal Govt.
(FDA) the power to IMPOSE THESE MANDATES UPON MANUFACTURERS regardless
of cost, feasibility or even the existence of suitable technology.
Sincerely,
Arthur Zaretsky
President
Famous Smoke Shop-PA, Inc.
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HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. The U.S. Senate has amended a House bill
(H.R. 4520) to include a provision which would give the Food & Drug
Administration (FDA) authority over all tobacco products - including
cigars and pipe tobacco. Their reasoning is that they want to protect
kids from cigarettes. Yet they have included two products used over-
whelmingly by adults.
Even the FDA, when it made the ill-fated attempt to regulate tobacco
products on its own in 1996, specifically chose to EXCLUDE cigars and
pipe tobacco because it had NO EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT USAGE BY YOUTH,
nor did it have sufficient evidence that they were drug delivery devices.
To pay for this new increase in the federal bureaucracy, "user fees" -
a fancy term for "taxes" - will be assessed on all tobacco manufacturers
and importers - which of course will be passed on to "users" such as
yourself. The cigar industry in particular has been singled out for
punitively large tax increases. Additionally, cigar companies will also
be forced to pass along the increased costs inevitable in trying to
comply with new government regulations and standards.
Furthermore, the measure contains provisions which will have a direct,
negative impact on mail order/internet sales and this will further
increase the price of the tobacco products which you purchase from us.
Cigars and pipe tobacco are used overwhelmingly by adult men. KIDS DON'T
SMOKE THESE PRODUCTS, nor do these industries advertise to kids. Actually,
the majority of cigar advertising is geared toward premium, handmade
cigars in adult-lifestyle publications. Moreover, government studies
have found that the vast majority of cigar smokers - anywhere from 75%
to 89% -- are OCCASIONAL smokers.
WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please contact the following senators and congressmen
and urge them to keep cigars and pipe tobacco out of the FDA legislation
to regulate cigarettes. The following sample letter will give you some
guidance on what to say. The fastest and most effective means of communi-
cating are, IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, 1) by e-mail 2) by phone 3) by FAX
and 4) by mail.
Norman Sharp
President
Cigar Association of America
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*** SAMPLE LETTER ***
Dear Senator/Congressman:
I STRONGLY oppose the inclusion of cigars and pipe tobacco in the FDA
provisions in H.R. 4520, which will be debated this fall by a House-
Senate conference committee. And I oppose the punitive new taxes to pay
for that regulation and for the costly new bureaucracy which would
impose them.
Senate sponsors say this legislation is needed to protect kids from
cigarettes. Yet they have included two products which are used
overwhelmingly by adults. Ironically, when the Food & Drug Administration
attempted to regulate tobacco on its own in 1996, they chose specifically
to exclude cigars and pipe tobacco because they found that 1) there was
insufficient evidence of significant usage by youth and 2) there was
insufficient evidence that these products were drug delivery devices
under the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act.
The Senate proposal will impose a significant hardship on these industries
and their customers in the form of punitive "user fees" and the additional
costs of complying with new government regulations and standards.
Please keep cigars and pipe tobacco out of the FDA provisions in H.R. 4520.
Yours truly,
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*** HR 4520 CONFEREES AND LEADERSHIP ***
SENATE APPOINTED CONFEREE(S)
FAX NUMBER PHONE NUMBER CONTACT EMAIL
Cuck Grassley (R-IA) 202-224-6020 202-224-3744 Ken Cunningham kenneth_cunningham@grassley.senate.gov
Orrin Hatch (R-UT) 202-224-6331 202-224-5251 Patricia Knight patricia_knight@hatch.senate.gov
Don Nickles (R-OK) 202-224-6008 202-224-5754 Bret Bernhardt bret_bernhardt@nickles.senate.gov
Trent Lott (R-MS) 202-224-2262 202-224-6253 William Gottshall william_gottshall@lott.senate.gov
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) 202-224-1946 202-224-5344 John Richter John_Richter@snowe.senate.gov
Jon Kyl (R-AZ) 202-224-2207 202-224-4521 Tim Glazewski tim_glazewski@kyl.senate.gov
Craig Thomas (R-WY) 202-224-1724 202-224-6441 Shawn Whitman shawn_whitman@thomas.senate.gov
Rick Santorum (R-PA) 202-228-0604 202-224-6324 Michael Hershey mike_hershey@santorum.senate.gov
Gordon Smith (R-OR) 202-228-3997 202-224-3753 John Easton john_easton@gsmith.senate.gov
Jim Bunning (R-KY) 202-228-1373 202-224-4343 Jon Deuser jon_deuser@bunning.senate.gov
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 202-224-2499 202-224-2541 Billy Piper Senator@mcconnell.senate.gov
Judd Gregg (R-NH) 202-224-4952 202-224-3324 Joel Maiola Joel_maiola@gregg.senate.gov
Max Baucus (D-MT) 202-224-4700 202-224-2651 Zak Andersen zak_anderson@baucus.senate.gov
John Rockefeller (D-WV) 202-224-7665 202-224-6472 Kerry Ates kerry_ates@rockerfeller.senate.gov
Tom Daschle (D-SD) 202-224-6603 202-224-2321 Laura Petrou laura_petrou@daschle.senate.gov
John Breaux 202-228-2577 202-224-4623 Fred Hatfield fred_hatfield@breaux.senate.gov
Kent Conrad (D-ND) 202-224-7776 202-224-2043 Robert Van Heuvelen bob_van_heuvelen@conrad.senate.gov
Bob Graham (D-FL) 202-224-2237 202-224-3041 Henry Menn henry_menn@graham.senate.gov
Jim Jeffords (I-VT) N/A 202-224-5141 Bill Kurtz bill_kurtz@jeffords.senate.gov
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) 202-224-2852 202-224-5521 Stephan Ward stephen_ward@bingaman.senate.gov
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) 202-228-1371 202-224-4843 Steve Patterson steve_patterson@lincoln.senate.gov
Edward Kennedy (D-MA) 202-224-2417 202-224-4543 Danica Petroshius danica_petroshius@kennedy.senate.gov
Tom Harkin (D-IA) 202-224-9369 202-224-3254 Peter Reinecke peter_reinecke@harkin.senate.gov
SENATE LEADERSHIP FAX NUMBER PHONE NUMBER CONTACT EMAIL
Bill Frist (R-TN) 202-228-1264 202-224-3344 Howard Liebengood howard_liebengood@frist.senate.gov
Tom Daschle (D-SD) 202-224-6603 202-224-2321 Laura Petrou laura_petrou@daschle.senate.gov
Harry Reid (D-NV) 202-224-7327 202-224-3542 Kai Anderson kai_anderson@reid.senate.gov
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 202-224-2499 202-224-2541 Billy Piper Senator@mcconnell.senate.gov
HOUSE LEADERSHIP FAX NUMBER PHONE NUMBER CONTACT EMAIL
Dennis Hastert (R-IL) 202-225-0697 202-225-2976 Scott Palmer scott.palmer@mail.house.gov
Tom Delay (R-TX) 202-225-5241 202-225-5951 Tim Berry tim.berry@mail.house.gov
Roy Blunt (R-MO) 202-225-5604 202-225-6536 Amy Field amy.field@mail.house.gov
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 202-225-8259 202-225-4965 Terri McCullough terri.mccullough@mail.house.gov
Steny Hoyer (D-MD) 202-225-4300 202-225-4131 Cory Alexander cory.alexander@mail.house.gov
LIKELY HOUSE CONFEREES FAX NUMBER PHONE NUMBER CONTACT EMAIL
Bill Thomas (R-CA) 202-225-8798 202-225-2915 James Min james.min@mail.house.gov
Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) 202-225-9681 202-225-5431 Shelley Husband shelley.husband@mail.house.gov
John Boehner (R-OH) 202-225-0704 202-225-6205 Mike Sommers mike.sommers@mail.house.gov
Charles Stenholm (D-TX) 202-225-2234 202-225-6605 Stephen Haterius stephen.haterius@mail.house.gov
Bill Jenkins (R-TN) 202-225-5714 202-225-6356 Brenda Otterson brenda.otterson@mail.house.gov
Joe Barton (R-TX) 202-225-3052 202-225-2002 Heather Couri heather.cori@mail.house.gov
Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) 202-225-4085 202-225-5755 Rebecca Hyder rebecca.hyder@mail.house.gov
John Dingell (D-MI) 202-2256-0371 202-225-4071 Rick Kessler rick.kessler@mail.house.gov
Charles Rangel (D-NY) 202-225-0816 202-225-4365 George Dalley george.dalley@mail.house.gov
Philip Crane (R-IL) 202-225-7830 202-225-3711 Michele Taulton michele.taulton@mail.house.gov
E. Clay Shaw Jr. (R-FL) 202-225-8398 202-225-3026 Eric Eikenberg eric.eikenberg@mail.house.gov
Nancy Johnson (R-CT) 202-225-4488 202-225-4476 Dave Karvelas dave.karvelas@mail.house.gov
Amo Houghton (R-NY) 202-225-5574 202-225-3161 Bob Van Wicklin bob.vanwicklin@mail.house.gov
Pete Stark (D-CA) 202-226-3805 202-225-5065 Debbie Curtis debbie.curtis@mail.house.gov
George Miller (D-CA) 202-225-5609 202-225-2095 Daniel Weiss daniel.weiss@mail.house.gov |
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