Massachusetts Generational Smoking Ban

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Zamora

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 15, 2023
532
1,414
Olympia, Washington
A handful of other states and counties have banned flavored stuff but it seems to have stagnated. Most people see it for the overreach it is
Yes and in the cigar and pipe realms many were relieved California exempted them, they hope that will create a precedent. Personally I think any sort of flavor ban is overreach, I hate cigarettes but if a grown ass adult wants to smoke strawberry flavored cigarettes they should be allowed to.
 

K.E. Powell

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 20, 2022
610
2,263
37
West Virginia
Yes and in the cigar and pipe realms many were relieved California exempted them, they hope that will create a precedent. Personally I think any sort of flavor ban is overreach, I hate cigarettes but if a grown ass adult wants to smoke strawberry flavored cigarettes they should be allowed to.
I'm generally less hostile than most others on this forum on certain stripes of tobacco sales regulations and taxes, but even I find the fixation on flavored tobaccos to be rather absurd. The argument is since these tobaccos are artificially flavored, they must therefore be targeted to children.

I mean, am I to believe that no one above the age of 21 likes strawberries? And tobacco companies ability to advertise directly to children (or anyone else for that matter) is severely restricted by the FCLAA. That isn't to say tobacco companies do not try to advertise to children when they can, because they certainly have tried, but this fixation on "flavored" tobaccos is absurd.
 

Zamora

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 15, 2023
532
1,414
Olympia, Washington
I'm generally less hostile than most others on this forum on certain stripes of tobacco sales regulations and taxes, but even I find the fixation on flavored tobaccos to be rather absurd. The argument is since these tobaccos are artificially flavored, they must therefore be targeted to children.

I mean, am I to believe that no one above the age of 21 likes strawberries? And tobacco companies ability to advertise directly to children (or anyone else for that matter) is severely restricted by the FCLAA. That isn't to say tobacco companies do not try to advertise to children when they can, because they certainly have tried, but this fixation on "flavored" tobaccos is absurd.
It's such an absurd argument, they mean to tell me Borkum Riff Whiskey is targetting kids? Even if a kid did manage to acquire some they'd burn their tongue and never try it again. It's especially asinine considering flavored alcohol doesn't get a fraction of the heat, sure there's been attempts to go after alcopops but liqueurs and flavored vodkas / whiskeys are largely accepted.
 

K.E. Powell

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 20, 2022
610
2,263
37
West Virginia
It's such an absurd argument, they mean to tell me Borkum Riff Whiskey is targetting kids? Even if a kid did manage to acquire some they'd burn their tongue and never try it again. It's especially asinine considering flavored alcohol doesn't get a fraction of the heat, sure there's been attempts to go after alcopops but liqueurs and flavored vodkas / whiskeys are largely accepted.
In fairness to the regulators, trying to prevent people from smoking Borkum Riff Whiskey should be considered a kindness, because that stuff is foul. 😂

Jokes aside, I doubt they think much of Borkum Riff or any pipe tobacco. Their focus, as best I can tell, is on vaping, because that is one area where they are seeing an increase in young smokers.

Dorky hipsters like me are a rarity. Not many young folks smoking a pipe. Though I will be 38 next month, so I am probably well past the point of being young. 😅
 

Zamora

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 15, 2023
532
1,414
Olympia, Washington
In fairness to the regulators, trying to prevent people from smoking Borkum Riff Whiskey should be considered a kindness, because that stuff is foul. 😂

Jokes aside, I doubt they think much of Borkum Riff or any pipe tobacco. Their focus, as best I can tell, is on vaping, because that is one area where they are seeing an increase in young smokers.

Dorky hipsters like me are a rarity. Not many young folks smoking a pipe. Though I will be 38 next month, so I am probably well past the point of being young. 😅
Very true, my state doesn't allow mailing pipe tobacco but from what I understand it was never specifically banned. The law sought to prevent the online sale of chew and RYO to keep minors from obtaining it, which to be fair probably was a problem. There's no restrictions on cigars at all because they're considered processed and not loose. The people who wrote the legislation probably had no idea about flakes, cakes, plugs, and certainly not ropes, I'm sure the only only exposure to pipe tobacco they had was whatever OTC their grandpas smoked.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
45,266
119,345
It's such an absurd argument, they mean to tell me Borkum Riff Whiskey is targetting kids? Even if a kid did manage to acquire some they'd burn their tongue and never try it again. It's especially asinine considering flavored alcohol doesn't get a fraction of the heat, sure there's been attempts to go after alcopops but liqueurs and flavored vodkas / whiskeys are largely accepted.
Borkum Riff and Prince Albert Soft Vanilla were my earliest tobaccos. Never got tongue burn from them.
 

Zamora

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 15, 2023
532
1,414
Olympia, Washington
It's hard to find anything that isn't political. Even tobacco is.
Exactly, any target of legislation is inherently political. I don't believe it's partisan however
Borkum Riff and Prince Albert Soft Vanilla were my earliest tobaccos. Never got tongue burn from them.
I had no idea there was vanilla PA. I've gotten tongue bite from all the OTCs I've tried including the ones I still enjoy however I've never found it to be particularly unpleasant or long lasting. However I can't imagine teenagers looking for a quick nicotine fix would smoke carefully
 
Dec 6, 2019
5,172
23,766
Dixieland
I love everyone injecting politics into this (as in right vs left). I’m a moderate/independent moving from Tennessee to Massachusetts. And I’ll gladly take their improved schools, better treatment of women’s rights, etc. than the horseshit in this state. Tobacco doesn’t make much money for states, weed does. Of course politicians want to push that. But, hey, if you want to leave Massachusetts and head south, knock yourself out. Just be ready for neighbors who buy their medicine at the Tractor Supply and think Jewish space lasers are real…

Sounds like you must have all the answers. Good for ya.

This is a political discussion, though. We are discussing government policy on tobacco... It's the only kind of political dicussion allowed on the forum.
 

hakchuma

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 13, 2014
889
534
52
Michigan, USA
Anyone deciding to pick up pipe smoking this day and age has to be out of their mind. I'm glad I purchased and cellared most all of my tobacco that should last me nearly to my 70's back before Michigan had Excise tax.
Today on a $117.30 order total Excise tax is $25.90 and sales tax $8.59. That is absolutely crazy and I think it's even worse for other people around the world. In my uninformed negative nanny opinion the pipe tobacco industry is doomed to die (to such a state that is unrecognizable to today) sooner than we like to believe.

I guess that's more of a rant than anything. Not sure why I even posted but I'm so upset I'm not sure if I'm even going to buy another ounce of tobacco again just to give away money to the government. I guess I'll try and grow some here in Michigan if possible as a hobby interest.
 
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