PCA Magazine Fall 2019

10 PCA The Magazine | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019 PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG News + Notes Facebook Live Remember to join us on the third Thursday each month, when we connect with you live on our Facebook page. We’ll be sharing federal updates from Josh Habursky, PCA updates from Scott Pearce and much more. Hope you can join us! Social Media “I’m sure there are many things better than a good cigar, but right now, I can’t think of what they might be,” said Richard Carleton. Granted, connecting with us on social media isn’t better than a good cigar, but connecting with us while enjoying a good cigar … well, that’s just sublime. Across the board, our handle is @pca1933 . Join us today! Substantial Equivalence Comment In July, PCA submitted a formal public comment to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on the Content and Format of Substantial Equivalence Reports. "Both comments demonstrate that the substantial equivalence system reflected in the Proposed Rule is wholly inappropriate for premium cigars. Indeed, applying that system to premium cigars will be detrimental to the agency’s public health mission,” PCA’s letter notes. "The substantial equivalence process set forth in the proposed rule is one geared for innovative e-cigarette and mass marketed tobacco products that people may use as nicotine delivery systems to feed an addiction. The Proposed Rule’s substantial equivalence system, and the reams of data and layers of testing it requires, will threaten the very existence of premium cigar manufacturers and retailers, purveyors of artisan, small batch products based on variations in natural tobacco leaf.” The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act created a system that focused FDA review on tobacco products that are novel and present different questions of public health. As a category, premium cigars are neither novel nor present different questions of public health. The definition of premium cigars so ensures, making clear that premium cigars must be handmade from natural tobacco. The various definitions of premium cigars, which were the subject of extensive commentary and evidence in the premium cigar rulemaking docket that closed in July 2018, make clear that any premium cigar will be made as premium cigars have been for centuries. PCA’s comments reflect the interests of brick-and- mortar retail stores as they relate to the substantial equivalence process and express agreement for the arguments put forth by other premium cigar stakeholders in their separate comments. Ultimately, PCA believes that premium cigars should not be subject to the substantial equivalence process and should be exempt from FDA regulation. Casino Night PCA will host a Casino Night on Nov. 17 at the CXIII Rex in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Tickets are $250 a person. RSVP at cigarcasino. eventbrite.com . New board members PCA is proud to welcome its newest directors to the board. Each board member serves a three-year term. The newest members are: Phil Ledbetter Up Down Cigar Chicago, Illinois Mame Kendall Smoke Cigar Shop & Lounge Bridgeville, Pennsylvania Steve Castro Davidus Cigars Frederick, Maryland Jessica Hutson Just for Him Springfield, Missouri