In its reasoning behind the proposed ban, the FDA maintains that many flavored cigars are consumed by underaged smokers:.
Flavored cigars are quite different than traditional, handmade premium cigars that Cigar Aficionado rates on a regular basis. While this FDA ruling would not affect the premium sector directly, several companies that manufacture premium, handmade smokes also produce flavored cigars. Corporations such as Swisher, for example, the parent company of Drew Estate , make the best-selling flavored cigar in America, Swisher Sweets, an inexpensive smoke sold in convenience stores, not fine cigar shops.
Drew Estate makes the unflavored Liga Privada and Undercrown brands but also makes the flavored or infused brand Acid. European tobacco giant Scandinavian Tobacco Group would also be affected by the proposed flavor ban. The next step will be for the agency to publish its proposed rules in the Federal Register, which will allow for public comment.
The agency stated that it would not prosecute consumers in possession of flavored cigars, but, rather, enforce the law by going after manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, importers and retailers.
When rolled properly, the average blunt will use about 0. So if you cop an eighth from the local dispensary , chances are that eighth will be gone in about four blunts—or in a day or two, considering the rate at which I smoke. One Swisher Sweets smoker described his calculations on the cost-effectiveness of cigarillos that helped justify his decision to switch:. As one blunt smoker stated:.
Patterns of cigarillo use seem to differ by style and brand. Although blunt use is by no means a new phenomenon, 8—11 , 21 , 22 several participants expressed the belief that the tobacco industry now designs cigarillos specifically for blunt use, making the blunt-making process a simpler and more enjoyable experience. This is in contrast to the blunt use subculture of the 80s and 90s which was more ritualistic and required a certain level of dexterity and skill. These product characteristics are important to users who smoke cigarillos as blunts or primarily for the tobacco.
Continued surveillance of cigar sales and features that drive growth is needed, as it may indicate tobacco industry knowledge of factors that drive young adult cigarillo use, and potentially marijuana use. This study has several methodological limitations common to most qualitative studies. Although respondents were ethnically and geographically diverse, the sample was small and was recruited using convenience sampling techniques.
As such, their responses may not be generalizable to all young adult cigar users. We expect that blunt-making behaviors differ across racial and ethnic groups, but our small sample size was not conducive to subgroup analyses. Furthermore, many participants may have minimized or denied their marijuana use behaviors in an attempt to provide socially desirable responses or to avoid admitting that they engage in a behavior that remains illegal in a majority of US states.
Therefore, the prevalence of blunt use in the sample may have been underreported. While the health risks associated with smoking a cigarillo for the tobacco are known, the risks associated with using only the outer wrap for marijuana use are less clear. Research has demonstrated that there are significant amounts of nicotine in the outer wraps of cigars and cigarillos, 12 and while this nicotine appears to contribute to and enhance the physiological effects of marijuana, 24 it also increases the risks of increased heart rate and elevated carbon monoxide levels.
According to our results, users of some cigarillo brands and styles almost exclusively use them as blunts, so they may be imprecisely categorized. Conversely, many people who use cigarillos only as blunts may not consider themselves a tobacco user and are likely missing from cigar prevalence estimates. More research is needed on the product characteristics that drive cigar volume growth. Stricter regulations of these product characteristics may result in lowered rates of cigar and blunt use.
The authors wish to thank Adrienne S. Viola and Erin Petenko for their assistance with interview transcription. Systematic review of cigar smoking and all cause and smoking related mortality. BMC Public Health. Google Scholar.
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For Immediate Release: December 09, Related Information.
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