Unite against Outdoor Smoke Ban in NYC

Greetings to all cigar aficionados. My name is Ray and I will be bringing you news from the cigar industry as well as occasional reviews. Enjoy.

Recent news revealed that New York politicians are considering banning smoking in most of the outdoors area of the city. As a response, the premium cigar industry rallied and, with the Cigars Rights of America, International Premium Cigars & Pipe Retailers Association and the New York Tobacconist Association as official supporters, encourages you, as cigar lover, to sign petitions against the extension of New York’s smoking ban.

Michael Bloomberg, one of United States’ most high-profile critics of smoking and the mayor of New York, proposed banning smoking in the outdoors of the city, specifically in all of New York’s 1700 public parks and along the 14 miles of city beaches.

Even if you are not a New Yorker and this law will not directly affect you, put yourself in the feet of a cigar lover in the Big Apple. Imagine yourself strolling through Central Park, maybe sitting on a bench, with a fine cigar in your pocket. You would like to indulge in this fine cigar while basking in the afternoon sun, enjoying a quiet, peaceful time. However, this dreamy relaxation will be impossible, should the banning law pass in New York City.

As a gesture of solidarity with your fellow smokers, you can sign the petition created by the New York Tobacconist Association, which opposes the extension of the ban and suggests that decisions of this nature should be up to the individual.

Chris McCalla, the legislative director of the IPCPR, stated, “In public places like these, common courtesy should prevail, not heavy-handed, misguided legislation.”