The Pipe Tobacco Council, a trade organization of pipe tobacco manufacturers, has responded to the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) previously published request for comments to distinguish between pipe tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco for federal excise tax purposes based on the physical characteristics of the two tobacco products. The deadline for…
NATO Responds to FDA’s Proposed Training Program
The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) has responded to the FDA’s proposed guidance on tobacco retail training programs. Under the FDA law, retailers are not required to train employees on how to prevent the sale of regulated tobacco products to minors. However, if tobacco products are sold to a minor, the retailer will be…
Sweetening Cigar Sales
Small filtered cigarellos represent a real albeit temporary opportunity for convenience stores to rack up sales, so get going before the window of opportunity slams shut. These diminutive cigars have gained strong appeal among smokers laboring to afford cigarettes in the wake of multiple tobacco tax hikes. The price differential between filtered cigars and cigarettes…
Confused on FDA Tobacco Regulations?
If you’re confused on the myriad of FDA tobacco regulations, you’re not alone, and help is on the way. The FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products has announced the dates, times and locations of four additional retailer training sessions on the new federal tobacco regulations. These training sessions are scheduled in Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago, Illinois, Dallas,…
Canada Proposes Flavored Cigarillo Ban
In Canada, The Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act, which contains a proposed ban on flavored tobacco products, cleared the Senate committee on social affairs Wednesday, and is expected to fly through the Senate as a whole later this fall, the Vancouver Sun reported. The Act would ban “kiddie packs” of little…
Mail Order Cigarette Ban Upheld
Seneca cigarette businesses cannot ship cigarettes through the U.S. Postal Service, according to a federal district court ruling last week. Judge Richard Arcara upheld the mail-order ban contained in the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act but temporarily exempted more than 140 Seneca-owned businesses from a provision requiring them to comply with all taxing laws…
Maintaining Strong Smokeless Sales
The slew of new regulations governing the sale of tobacco products has convenience store operators scratching their heads and wondering where the next assault will come from and what to do about it. For example:• The federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act) went into effect on June 29, 2010. Its goal is to…
Mini Wine Flavor Cigarillos
Swisher International Inc. has combined one of its newest and most popular flavors with the convenient shape of mini cigarillos to make the new Swisher Sweets Mini Wine Cigarillos. These new, smaller cigars offer the quick smoke many customers prefer, and come individually wrapped with the company’s unique special sealed-fresh wrapper to ensure fresh, flavorful…
FDA Retail Training Sessions Start Today
The FDA Center for Tobacco Products is holding the first of five retailer training sessions on the new federal tobacco regulations in Boston on Monday, July 19, 2010 from 1p.m. to 5 p.m. EST. The first training seminar is scheduled at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Avenue in Boston. The FDA encourages retailers…
TPE 2011 Expecting Strong Attendance
Building on the success of the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) 2010, the Tobacco Plus Expo slated for March 2-3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center is attracting a record level of early interest from both exhibitors and attendees. “A full 10 months out we already have commitments from the majority of last year’s exhibitors, as…