The “T” Word

…is of course, tobacco. It has been popularized as a bad word, and for a decent enough reason. The main line of tobacco going through the United States, and probably the world, is cigarettes, and though they are nothing like cigars, they are all lumped together as Big Tobacco. I do not like cigarettes, I don’t really understand them aside from as a coping mechanism. Much like cigars, I think they help people relax, although there is the added element of addiction that sort of creates a darker side. For taxing purposes, cigars are qualified as a “other tobacco product” but I don’t think that earns cigars a distinction enough. I think when many people look at that, they look at “other tobacco” as “other arm of cigarette companies.” Which isn’t at all true.

For me, my passion for cigars- and it is a passion, it’s something I see a lot of beauty in- and I think that this passion stems from more then just calming down with a smoke, and certainly not an addiction. I think that for me, I love cigars because of the artistry of the product. Each cigar is hand made, each cigar is a product of a very long, very careful process that just seems amazing to me as I sit and enjoy the end product of what is essentially a labor of love in a very tough industry. I also love cigars because of the history, which is very rich, interesting, and extensive. I actually had a talk with ChiefHava over several games of Modern Warfare 2 with the CGAR Clan about the history of the cigar industry. He’s a great guy, incredibly interesting, and one of the most knowledgeable people I’ve had a chance to talk to, in reference to both the cigar industry, and ridiculous jokes. That conversation, which I mostly just listened to, was an excellent reminder as to the biggest reason why I love this hobby, and really, this lifestyle: the people. There are, of course, total douche bags who smoke cigars, and you need to put up with them, same as anywhere else in the world. However, I’ve met some people that have been very good to me, and provided me with a whole new outlook on things I’d never questioned in my life. Topics ranging from cigars (of course) to politics, religion, movies, cooking, and just about every subject under the sun are all things you’ll find yourself discussing over a fine cigar. My girlfriend put it really well when she said that cigars just seemed to sort of activate your mouth, and make you ready to talk. The people at my local B&M are incredibly close. It’s to the point where many of the wives will often call the place to talk to their husbands, since they know they’ll be there. We cook out back, we drink together, and I know if I ever needed something, they’d be there in a second, as I would for them (though they all really need psychologists, especially Jay.) Online, through the wonders of the internet, I’ve spoken, tweeted, emailed, video chatted, and messaged with leaders in the industry, some of the best bloggers out there, people who have the same drive and passion for cigars as I do. These people are all individually awesome to talk to, and I think my favorite thing about cigars is that if you are a cigar smoker, you have several hundred thousand brothers and sisters of the leaf. And that’s pretty damn cool.

I don’t see cigarettes having that kind of community. I know the health impacts are different, and that alone sets these two apart, but beyond that, there is so many other differences between the two products, I can’t even imagine how anybody can see them as the same; it’s a form of ignorance that would be on par with taxing soda as beer because they’re both drinks. I know I’m biased, but that’s just how I see it. I can understand a tax on cigars because they are a luxury, but taxing them with SCHIP seems a little odd, and even more so, creating other taxes with health reasons and such involved seems a bit ridiculous. I’ve yet to see a report that isn’t dubious at best.

In order to break this myth, or misinformation, or whatever you want to call it, I think we as a community need to dispel this notion. I don’t really remember why I started writing this article, but I know that I’ve brought it up with CRA; we need to expand our views to beyond our small minority, and really try to bring about change in the community as a whole. You can read my article on the New York Tax, which is a perfect example of how taxes on cigars that are lumped in with cigarettes (and really, those taxes as well) are going to hurt everyone, not help. We will lose because we wont be able to afford cigars in NY, and we’ll buy online. NY will loose tons of money off of this tax. I don’t know, I’m repeating myself now, so I’ll stop. I’d love to hear other thoughts on this, though, since it’s an interesting issue. Leave comments below, and I’ll add the interesting ones to the article. Thanks guys, long ashes and smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

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