Savannah, Georgia  August 19, 2010 – Today’s sanctuary for and one of the last bastions of camaraderie, friendship and sociability – the corner cigar store – could become history along with many other businesses in Savannah if City Council has its way, says the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.

The current proposal would eliminate exemptions in the Georgia state law by making all workplaces smoke-free.  This includes all indoor and outdoor areas of bars, restaurants, private clubs and other businesses, including cigar stores and within 20 feet from the entrance to any such workplace.

The IPCPR, not considered ‘big tobacco’, is comprised of more than 2,000 retailers, manufacturers and distributors of premium cigars, tobacco and related accoutrements. The group is standing up for small, family-owned businesses whose right it is to determine for themselves whether or not to allow smoking on their premises. Three of Savannah’s premium cigar shops are IPCPR members.

“We’re not against all smoking bans. We are against legislated smoking bans,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR. “Many restaurants, bars and other places of business have already declared themselves as ‘no smoking’ venues. That’s their right under the constitution. It’s when the government – local, state or federal – starts telling private citizens how to run their businesses that we have a problem.”

McCalla says that the fear of secondhand smoke has been blown out of proportion to reality. Nonetheless, that misplaced fear is what appears to be spinning the issue in favor of the anti-smoking forces, he maintains.

“I’ve read Savannah newspaper articles that are supposed to be writing unbiased articles about the issue saying unattributed things like there are ‘countless studies that show secondhand smoke is dangerous’ and ‘statistics (prove) the lethality of secondhand smoke’ and ‘restaurant servers must wade through smoke to deliver food to patrons.’  Ridiculous!” he said.

“For every such study – many of which are based on bad science if you look at them objectively – there are others that contradict them.  And the alleged statistics are mostly fiction, to say the least, concocted out of whole cloth.  It’s when you get specific with such broadly biased arguments that their absurdity becomes obvious.  Fortunately, most of the online reader comments about such articles are against the proposed ban extension,” he said.

McCalla urged City Council members to look at the facts as established by no less than the federal government’s  Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Department of Labor – OSHA - which has set safe level standards for secondhand smoke that are up to 25,000 times higher than are normally found in bars and restaurants. 

“Those OSHA standards are based primarily on studies by the American Cancer Society which have proven in conducting air quality testing of secondhand smoke that it absolutely does not constitute a health hazard justifying widespread legislated smoking bans,” he said.

McCalla complimented those City Council members who are thoughtfully considering all facets of the issue and said he hoped they would see the wisdom in a decision against expanding the state ban in Savannah.  He reminded the council  that many cities are reversing or reconsidering their earlier decisions to legislate smoking bans because of the negative impact those bans have had on local businesses.

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Orlando, Florida  August 16, 2010 – As an expression of public defiance to Orange County Mayor Richard T. Crotty’s executive order prohibiting tobacco use by anyone in any workplace or public area on or in county property, the world’s largest cigar has gone on display at Corona Cigar Co.’s store at 7792 W. Sand Lake Rd. in Orlando, Florida. 

Store owner Jeff Borysiewicz brought the mammoth tobacco product from New Orleans where it was on display during the 78^th Annual Convention and International Trade Show of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.  Borysiewicz is a member of the IPCPR Board of Directors.

The smokable, long-filler  Corojo #5 Gran Robusto El Gigante cigar was made in the Danli, Honduras factory of the Gran Habano Cigar Company.  It is 19 feet long, three feet in diameter, weighs 1,600 pounds (2,500 pounds, including the case) and includes 16,000 wrapper leaves.  The cigar took 20 workers 20 days to make and has a retail value of $200,000. It will be on display through August 29th.

Borysiewicz has been campaigning against Mayor Crotty’s outdoor smoking ban because he believes it is unconstitutional, keeps tens of millions of dollars from flowing into the local economy and threatens the jobs of thousands of county workers. County workers are forced to sign a “tobacco free” affidavit and are permitted to smoke no more than four celebratory cigars per year, or face up to $650 in fines per year or are forced to quit their jobs.

“Since county employees are only allowed to smoke four cigars a year, we figured it might as well be the biggest cigar in the world!” said Borysiewicz

 “This executive order is a misguided use of the mayor’s power and should be overturned as soon as possible.  It goes way beyond the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act’s indoor smoking ban and may well be illegal because of that.  Smokers and non-smokers alike should demand that the order be rescinded and that their politicians stop telling them how to live their lives,” said Borysiewicz.

He pointed out that tourists and local citizens alike can’t smoke or use any tobacco product (including smokeless tobacco) on county property – indoors or outdoors.

“That includes the Convention Center, county-owned sidewalks, lawns, parking lots, streets, public parks, boat ramps and docks and other county buildings, indoors or out,” said Borysiewicz who has been working to bring the IPCPR’s annual convention to Orlando but has hit a brick wall with the mayor’s draconian smoking ban.

“This convention alone attracts some 5,000 attendees and generates an estimated $16 million in economic impact wherever it is held.  Imagine how many other conventions, meetings, visitors and tourists are deterred from coming to Orlando or any of the cities in Orange County because of this extreme ban,” he said.

Borysiewicz urged all Orange County residents to show their opposition to this executive order by calling, writing or sending emails to Mayor Crotty and Commissioners S. Scott Boyd, Fred Brummer, Linda Stewart, Bill Segal and Tiffany Moore Russell.

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Sacramento, California   August 3, 2010 – In the words of a top government official, “This is a big fricking deal,” says Ron Michelson, owner of Briar Patch Smoke Shops in Sacramento. 

Michelson was referring to what is planned to be the Briar Patch’s First Annual Golf Tournament benefiting the Iraq Star Foundation to be held Friday, September 17 at the Ancil Hoffman Golf Course in Carmichael, California.

The Iraq Star Foundation provides reconstructive surgery to American soldiers returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. These surgeries help our wounded warriors resume happy, productive lives, and are beyond what the VA and the military will provide. All procedures are performed by board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeons who donate their skills. The Foundation pays for virtually everything else.

The event will begin with registration at 11:00 a.m. with tee-offs beginning at noon.  The $99 fee includes entry to all events, 18-holes of golf, riding cart, lunch, dinner and a chance to win various prizes.  There will be contests and prizes for longest drive, closest to pin and hole-in-one.

“Throughout the year, we stage a number of fund-raising events for community and patriotic causes, but this is one I am particularly pleased to be involved in,” said Michelson who also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.  The IPCPR is comprised of some 2,000 retailers and manufacturers of premium cigars, pipes, tobacco and related accoutrements.

Registration and sponsorship information is available at the Briar Patch Smoke Shops or online at www.briarpatch.biz.  One location is at Arden Fair Mall, 1689 Arden Way and the other is at Loehmann’s Plaza, 2529 Fair Oaks Blvd., both in Sacramento.  Merchandise donations should go to the Loehmann’s Plaza location. 

More information about the Iran Star Foundation may be found at www.iraqstar.org.

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Savannah, Georgia  July 23, 2010 – The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association is urging smokers and non-smokers alike to ‘just say no’ to the Savannah City Council’s proposed smoking ban extension that would include virtually all workplaces, including smoke shops.

The second opportunity for comment on the issue will be at the Quarterly Town Hall Meeting to be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 28 in the Savannah Civic Center Ballroom.  The proposal would eliminate current exemptions in the Georgia law by making all workplaces smoke-free.  This includes all indoor and outdoor areas of bars, restaurants, private clubs and other businesses, including cigar stores and within 20 feet from the entrance to any such workplace.

“What no one needs is more of government telling people what they can and cannot do,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR.

The IPCPR is an association of some 2,000 retailers and manufacturers of premium cigars, pipes, tobacco and accoutrements.  These are, by and large, small, family businesses that have been passed on from generation to generation.  According to McCalla, they do not represent what most people would classify as ‘big tobacco.’

“Our members hire neighborhood folks,  pay all kinds of local, state and federal taxes, including taxes that fully support SCHIP – the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.  Without tobacco taxes, SCHIP would disappear,” he said.

McCalla said that levels of secondhand smoke in virtually all working establishments are well within the safe standards set by the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  He also cited a paper funded by the Lung Association and published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine that puts the passive consumption of secondhand smoke at 0.009 cigarettes an hour in a bar and 0.001 at a bus stop.

“That means bartenders would get exposure to roughly 20 cigarettes per year which isn’t enough to do anyone any harm,” he said.

In addition to dismissing the overreaching claims against the impact of secondhand smoke, McCalla said legislative smoking bans tend to be unconstitutional and could lead to usurpation of civil rights.

“Jobs and businesses truly are at stake here, as well as the rights of business owners to declare whether or not smoking should be allowed in their establishments.  If government was to declare no smoking in its facilities, then so be it.  If a restaurant owner decides that his place of business will allow smoking, then that’s his right, as well.  If patrons and potential employees don’t want to patronize a place that allows smoking, they have the right to go somewhere else,” he said.

McCalla urged all Savannah citizens, all Georgians and everyone else to attend the hearing or call the City Council at 912-651-6441 or the office Mayor Otis Johnson at 912-651-6444 to voice their objection to the proposal.

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Sacramento, California  July 22, 2010 – Briar Patch Smoke Shop at Loehmann’s Plaza, the area’s newest destination location for premium cigar and pipe smokers, will host a book signing Saturday, August 7 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for Sacramento author Tim Comstock’s latest book, ‘Reunion in Carmel.’

Loehmann’s Plaza is located at 2529 Fair Oaks Blvd in Sacramento, California.

A murder mystery, ‘Reunion in Carmel’ is Comstock’s first novel.  Now-retired, the former Dean of Students at California State University, Sacramento previously published books on the history of Sacramento’s Sutter Club, YMCA and Grandfathers’ Club.  At CSUS, Comstock also taught business law and co-taught journalism.  He later served as Executive Director of the California Dental Association.

Comstock has been a longtime customer of Briar Patch’s owner, Ron Michelson.   A pipe smoker for most of his life, Comstock has a collection of several hundred pipes, of which his favorite is a Dunhill Group 5 Billiards.  His favorite tobacco is McBaren Burley London Blend.

“I am a voracious reader. Among the thousands of books I have read are more than 800 murder mysteries, many of which I complained to my wife, Nancy, that were not very well done.  She told me to write one myself if I thought I could do better.  And so I have,” Comstock said.

Comstock said that he wrote most of the book during extended visits to the home in Carmel that his family has owned for some 85 years.

The hardcover book’s cover features a water color work by Sacramento artist Miles Hermann.  Hermann’s work is currently being shown at Park Fine Art at 2673 21^st near Second Ave. in Sacramento.

In addition to promoting the book which will soon be available in book stores nationwide for $24, Comstock has several Sherlock Holmes short stories in the works and is already developing a sequel to ‘Reunion.’

About the Book

A brutal killer stalks Carmel. Police Chief Will Kempton must call on his long untested skills to save himself and his family and the village he has come to love.  The Trail twists and turns as the hunter becomes the hunted and the crimes escalate.  Unique characters and Carmel’s quirky politics are thrown in a mix not helpful to the chief. As time runs out, only desperate measures can save the day.

Comstock expressed his appreciation to Jan Haag, professor in the English Department at Sacramento City College, who served as editor on the project.

Comstock’s website is currently under construction.

About Briar Patch

Briar Patch Smoke Shops feature the largest inventories of premium cigars, pipes, pipe tobaccos and accessories in the area.  The Loehmann’s Plaza location boasts the largest cigar humidor in Sacramento. The original Briar Patch is located at Arden Fair Mall, 1689 Arden Way.

“At both Briar Patch Smoke Shops and particularly at our new Diamond Crown Lounge in the Loehmann’s Plaza location, we have created an environment aimed at fostering leisurely pleasures where good friends and great cigars and pipes can come together.  Although a smoke shop may be an unusual venue for a book signing, we’re pleased to be supporting Mr. Comstock’s latest literary venture,” Michelson said.

For more information about Briar Patch Smoke Shops, go to www.briarpatch.biz.

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Winston-Salem, North Carolina  July 16, 2010 – The Winston-Salem (NC) Transit Authority is considering a ban on smoking in bus shelters but the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association says it has a better idea – post courtesy messages, instead.

The WSTA Board recently discussed the issue and plans to bring it up again at their next meeting, in response to a complaint by a single rider.

“The world is upside down,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR.  “There’s no need to ban smoking in bus shelters and, even if it were enacted, there would be virtually no practical way to enforce it.  Just because one person complained, doesn’t mean thousands of other bus riders who happen to be smokers should be inconvenienced.”

The single complaint centered on the shelters on Hawthorne Road, near Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, where Center employees often go to smoke, away from the non-smoking hospital grounds.

“Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” said McCalla. “Instead of an outright ban, simply post signs reminding smokers to be considerate of others when there is a need for them to share a shelter with non-smokers.  Smokers, by and large, are a considerate bunch and will appreciate the civil tradeoff.”

McCalla said it had nothing to do with alleged health factors regarding secondhand smoke.

“The oh-so-brief encounters of random whiffs of smoke will not harm anyone.  After all, even the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor has established safe levels of secondhand smoke.  Some people just don’t like the smell of smoke, but there’s no reason that the rights of smokers should be trumped by a few non-smokers.  Besides, a good cigar or pipe usually emits quite an enjoyable odor.”

McCalla asked, “What if someone complained about the odor of cheap perfume or wet dogs?  What if someone complained about seriously obese people taking up more than their share of seating space in the shelters and on buses?

“Imposing a smoking ban in bus shelters is the first step on a slippery slope that could lead to even more ridiculous conclusions,” he said.

Instead, McCalla believes posting signs urging smokers to display courtesy to non-smokers with whom they share bus shelters is the civil way to manage the situation.

“This way, everybody wins.”

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Denville, New Jersey  July 15, 2010 – The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association believes the recently enacted smoking ban in Denville, New Jersey is ‘over the top’ because, among other reasons, it could land errant smokers in jail.

The Denville town council earlier this week enacted an anti-smoking ordinance which is effective August 10 and will include parking lots, bleachers, playgrounds and adjoining sidewalks among the prohibited locations.  A fine of up to $100 or up to two days of community service will be applied to first-time offenders which second-time offenders could face up to a $250 fine or five days of community service.

According to the ordinance, third time offenders will face up to a $500 fine or community service of at least 10 days or any combination of fine, imprisonment and community service determined by the municipal court.

The ordinance applies to cigars, cigarettes, pipes, ‘or any other matter or substance which contains tobacco.’

“This is over the top as far as abuse of individual rights goes,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR.  “Yes, many municipalities have banned smoking on city properties, but few equal the onerous penalties implied with Denville’s ban.”

McCalla wondered what the council’s motivation was.

“It can’t be claims of littering, because there are laws against littering and it doesn’t make sense to clutter the codes with more unenforced laws.  It certainly can’t be related to secondhand smoke, because it has been proven that there are, indeed, safe levels of secondhand smoke as established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor, especially outdoors,” he said.

“We can only assume that the council has been duped by anti-smoking forces who use unscientific and often false claims to support their outlandish allegations.”

McCalla said that property owners – even cities – have the right to decide whether or not to allow or ban smoking on their properties.  However, sentences of high fines, community service and even jail are ‘going too far.’

“There are other, more serious infractions of existing laws that don’t come near to the levels of penalties that could be applied to smoking ban offenders.  That’s going too far.  The council members have taken far too much power into their hands in an effort to legislate the behavior of their constituents,” McCalla said.

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New York, New York  July 12, 2010 – The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association today warned Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg against his consideration to extend New York City’s smoking ban to include the city’s parks and beaches.

When Dr. Thomas A. Farley, New York City’s health commissioner, proposed the broad-reaching ban last year, it caught Mayor Bloomberg off guard.  Now, according to a report in the New York Times, the mayor is ‘leaning toward’ the extended ban as part of Farley’s tobacco-free strategy that would affect more than 1,700 parks, playground and recreational facilities, in addition to the city’s seven beaches and 14 miles of shoreline.  Farley’s strategy includes increasing taxes on tobacco, and urging businesses to reject financing and sponsorship from the tobacco industry.

According to the New York Times article, one of the reasons the mayor is considering the proposal is “because people take their cigarette butts and the packages and just throw them away,” they quoted him as saying.

“There already are littering laws that take care of that concern.  Enforce the laws already on the books before you create meaningless and damaging new ones,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR.

The IPCPR is comprised of some 2,000 members, including owners of retail cigar stores and manufacturers and distributors of premium cigars and related accoutrements.

“Our members are small businesses, mostly mom-and-pop operations that employ thousands of people.  We pay local, state, federal and payroll taxes.  Our customers enjoy premium cigars like most people enjoy fine wine. The more you limit the places you can enjoy a good cigar, the quicker you put us out of business and eliminate all those jobs and the taxes they generate,” McCalla said.

McCalla cited a Federal Reserve study that showed how smoking bans have proven to be economic dampeners. 

“An Illinois smoking ban in casinos saw a decline in casino revenues of 21 percent while neighboring state casinos  – all without smoking bans – had revenues stay flat or make slight gains even during a slowing economy,” he said.

“The myths surrounding secondhand smoke – especially that which one might encounter in an outdoor environment - have played on the ignorance and gullibility of the public.  Even the Surgeon General’s report says the health effects of secondhand smoke are inconclusive.  And that was indoors! 

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Washington, D.C.  July 6, 2010 -- To celebrate the first anniversary of the Congressional Cigar Association (CCA), virtually all members of the Board of Directors of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) and several of its Associate Members flew into Washington D.C. for an evening of fellowship and camaraderie with some 200 members of the CCA on June 23. 

On the following day, all 24 of the IPCPR representatives broke into four teams, with each team visiting between nine and 11 congressional members or their staffs.  The two days of intensive meetings and all the work that went into their planning, organizing, execution and follow-up were part of the IPCPR’s ongoing efforts to generate increased understanding of the premium cigar industry among federal legislators, regulators and their staffs.

“It’s important for us to be communicating with these key influencers on an on-going basis so that when a piece of legislation comes along that could impact our industry, they are better informed about our industry and the kinds of people and industries that depend on and enjoy premium cigars and pipes,” said Ken P. Neumann, chairman of the IPCPR’s Legislative Committee and owner of Cigars and More of Libertyville, Illinois.

The CCA is an official “Congressional Staff Organization” and is officially recognized by Congress.  The group is comprised of Congressional staff members who share a passion for premium cigars.  They host quarterly meetings and a variety of social events to educate Congressional staff and Members of Congress regarding the premium cigar industry as well as to share their enjoyment of hand-made cigars and the camaraderie they foster.

Since the beginning, the IPCPR has been an integral part of the growth of CCA, now with some 150 members, under the leadership of Joe Rowe, executive director, and Chris McCalla, legislative director, with the support and involvement of several retail and associate members of the IPCPR, its Board of Directors under Gary Pesh, and the Board’s Legislative Committee chaired by Ken Neumann, and the Associate Member Advisory Board.

The IPCPR hosted an informal Congressional staff briefing for CCA members and other House and Senate staffers on April 29 in the Capitol Visitors Center.  The one-hour briefing featured presentations by Rocky Patel, of Rocky Patel Premium Cigars in Bonita Springs, Florida; Gary Pesh of Old Virginia Tobacco in Warrenton, Virginia; Tiffany Rumbo of Club Humidor in San Antonio, Texas; and Jeff Borysiewicz of Corona Cigar Co. in Orlando, Florida.  

More than 65 staffers showed up to learn how premium cigars are made, about the countries that produce them and the economic impact of the cigar industry in these countries, and about IPCPR retailers, which are largely mom-and-pop small businesses.  In addition, open forum discussions were held, focusing on the effects of legislation on premium cigar retailers, especially tax-based Congressional and regulatory actions.

Attendees also received background information about IPCPR, premium cigars, retailers and manufacturers, and how misinformation about the health aspects of premium cigars and pipe tobacco is misleading opinion leaders and the general public.

The June anniversary get-together was staged on the rooftop of 101 Constitution across from the Capital Building, just a couple of blocks from the White House.  The evening reception included refreshments, hors d’oeuvres and plenty of cigars provided by  IPCPR Associate Members in attendance including Rocky Patel of Rocky Patel Premium Cigars; Christian Eiroa of Camacho Cigars; Eric and Bobby Newman of J.C. Newman Cigar Co.; Jorge Padron of Padron Cigars; Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana; and Dan Murphy of Humidipak.

The CCA presented its ‘Spirit Award’ to David Berkebile, past president of IPCPR and owner of Georgetown Tobacco, for his efforts to help establish the group and link it with the IPCPR for its quarterly cigar events, educational staff briefings and informal cigar socials, all of which enable both the CCA and the IPCPR to build relationships with one another.

IPCPR’s Washington lobbyists, K&L Gates, were instrumental in organizing the IPCPR teams and their visits with Congressional members and their staffs on the day after the CCA reception.

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Chattanooga, Tennessee  June 30, 2010 – While thousands of members of the  STAR Touring and Riding Association gather in Chattanooga July 20-23, the Richmond, Virginia STAR Chapter 440 will be staging a “Cigar-B-Que” in partnership with the Chattanooga Billiard Club to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project.

The unique fundraiser on July 20 is open to the public and will include dinner and games, including billiards and darts tournaments.  The Billiard Club is located at 110 Jordan Drive in Chattanooga. Sponsors include the Chattanooga Billiard Club, Banquet and Convention Center, the Rocky Patel Cigar Company and Groome Transportation.  

Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are available for $20 each and include admission, dinner and a Rocky Patel premium cigar.  Details and event registration are at www.star440.org/cigarbque.  Venue information and directions can be found at www.cbcburns.com. 

Half of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to WWP as will all proceeds from games and tournaments.  Rocky Patel will attend the event with other representatives of his company which will offer event specials on its line of premium cigars through Burns Tobacconist, the on-site premium cigar retailer.  Burns will donate 20 percent of sales proceeds to WWP.

About STAR Touring and Riding Association

Founded in 1996, STAR Touring and Riding Association is an international family riding organization comprised of more than 65,000 members from some 285 chapters. As the "Official Riding Organization of Star Motorcycles," STAR is a non-political, non-confrontational association whose main focus is on family, fun, camaraderie and riding. All brands of motorcycles are welcome.  More information is available at www.startouring.org.

About STAR Chapter 440

The Richmond, Virginia chapter of STAR Touring and Riding Association is headed by Dwayne Terrier, president. “STAR Touring and Riding is a very patriotic group. We are encouraged to recognize and support our veterans. We feel our Chattanooga rally is a great opportunity to give something back to those who have sacrificed so much for us,” he said.  Terrier said that, although the July 20 event will occur during the rally, it is the Richmond chapter’s initiative, is not part of the official rally agenda, and has STAR’s approval, encouragement and general support.

About Wounded Warrior Project

WWP is a charity whose mission is to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured servicemen and women, to help severely injured service members to aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of severely injured service members.  Information about WWP can be found at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

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