Pennsylvania remains the only state in the nation that doesn’t tax smokeless tobacco and one of only two that doesn’t tax cigars. Two Democratic lawmakers think it’s time for the state to surrender its membership in that exclusive club. Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, has introduced House Bill 2405 to impose a tax on tobacco products not subject to the state’s tax on cigarettes and cigarillos. His bill would direct about h ... Jump to full article >>

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On Tuesday afternoon, four Cuban goombahs were halfway into the third round of their daily dominoes game at Macabi Cigar Factory. Heli Montoto slammed one of the white pieces on the table and taunted his partner, Jacinto Perez, “Put on your batteries, man.” The two had already lost two games to Adrian Lopez and Jorge Azze, two other middle-aged, tanned exiles with huge cell phone holsters on their belts. Earlier in the day, El Nuevo ... Jump to full article >>

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Smoke-Free Oklahoma and Tulsa restaurant owner Ken Selby held a Capitol press conference Monday to call for abolishing smoke rooms in restaurants and ending smoking in bars. Selby, the owner and operator of Mazzio’s and Oliveto restaurants, said his restaurants saw an increase in business when they went smoke-free a decade ago. “Several years ago and considerably before there were any regulatory laws against smoking in restaurants, I ... Jump to full article >>

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Cuba seeks to pitch famous cigars beyond male base With anti-smoking laws and the global recession causing sales to fall, Cuba wants to develop a largely untapped market for its famous cigars — women. Habanos S.A. executives said on Monday sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 ... Jump to full article >>

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A group of bar owners is asking for an exemption from the state’s three-year-old workplace smoking ban. They want state lawmakers to allow bars to pay an annual fee starting at $1,000 to allow smoking in their establishments. Only stand-alone bars — not restaurants — would be able to apply for the exemption. Proposals to create exemptions from the state’s workplace smoking ban have been introduced in each of the past three ... Jump to full article >>

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A half-smoked cigar stubbed out by Sir Winston Churchill in the Second World War is expected to fetch £300 at auction. The 4in long stub was left by the Prime Minister before he dashed off for a Cabinet meeting on August 22, 1941 – the day German troops reached Leningrad. Whitehall valet Nellie Goble found it when cleaning and sent it to a friend, with a note on No10 paper reading: ‘Just a small souvenir to remind you at some future ... Jump to full article >>

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