Reading Time: 3 minutes CigarAdvisor contributor SeanMike Whipkey has got some words of gratitude for cigarette smokers, who got public to rally behind smoking bans. He argues that a properly done smoking ban is actually a boon to cigar smokers, especially those who can’t stand the acrid, penetrating smoke of cigarettes. He lays out Virginia’s smoking ban as an example, which allows the non-smoking public to avoid second-hand smoke in almost all situations, while allowing patrons to smoke in restaurants and bars that want smokers’ business.

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MIAMI, FL — The sixth annual Studio Tobac World Tour 2013 kicked off last week in Tampa, Florida with the first of many great events. Bryan “The Show” Scholle, driving the Studio Tobac Ford Raptor SVT, made the first stop of this nationwide tour that will run through November and include stops at more than eighty retailers across the country.

Each stop on the 2013 World Tour will include live cigar-rolling demonstrations with custom hand rolled premium cigars. Studio Tobac will also have branded lighters, cutters and other limited-edition items available free with the purchase of Studio Tobac cigars. And at each event consumers can enter a drawing for a box of Cain F 5 x 43, which are only available at the event.

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BASEL, SW — Inspired by Zino Davidoff’s pioneering spirit, we at Davidoff Cigars have made it our mission to bring the modern aficionado a variety of taste experiences and cigar smoking pleasures. Our experts, led by master blender Hendrik “Henke” Kelner, unceasingly explore every opportunity to create new and diverse ways of ensuring time spent enjoying each and every Davidoff cigar is time beautifully filled.

For this challenge, Henke and his team embarked on a worldwide search for tobaccos that would enable us to create a unique cigar. The search landed in the tobacco fields of Nicaragua.

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Minneapolis, MN — President Obama’s proposal to impose the largest increase in the federal cigarette tax in the history of the country to fund preschool programs is unfair and ironic, the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) said in a response to the President’s budget unveiled today.

“For the President to target a minority of adult Americans with this massive tax increase to pay for the extension of preschool programs nationwide is unfair and ironic,” said Tom Briant, executive director of NATO. “With the Centers for Disease Control reporting that 29 percent of all smokers have incomes below the poverty level, it is ironic that the President’s proposal would seek to nearly double cigarette and tobacco taxes that fall more heavily on lower income Americans to fund expanded access to prekindergarten programs for all four-year-old children from families with low to moderate incomes.”

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FLORIDA OUTDOOR SMOKING BILLS SLOWING DOWN…

Indicators are telling us that the legislation to allow local governments to enact outdoor smoking restrictions in Florida is coming to an end for 2013 – but they’ll be back.

Committees with purview over SB 258 and HB 439 are not scheduled to meet again this year, and the opposition, namely Florida State Senator Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, are waving the white flag for this year, noting of his effort to allow for such outdoor smoking ordinances, “If it’s not dead, it’s on life support in the House.” Senator Bradley has vowed to renew his efforts, and to search for compromise next year. That’s why we cannot stop talking to our state legislators when they leave the state capitol.

Reading Time: < 1 minute Earlier this week we broke the story of the upcoming action-thriller, “Operation Smokescreen”; if you missed it, here’s a quick synopsis…

Reading Time: < 1 minute Ever since 1844, cigar lovers have been enjoying H. Upmann legacy cigars, one of the premium cigar world’s best-known and most highly trusted brands.

Reading Time: < 1 minute Cigar Rights of America welcomes Sen. Dean Heller (R) of Nevada as the 14th member of the United States Senate to join as a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 1461.

Reading Time: 2 minutes CAO will deliver a smokin’ experience to guests aboard the Kid Rock Chillin’ The Most cruise which departed from Miami on March 5, 2013.

Reading Time: 2 minutes A total of eight Punch Rare Corojo frontmarks are now available, with suggested retail prices ranging from $4.79 to $7.39 per cigar.