After more than 40,000 signatures and 750 days, the White House has formally responded to a petition to exempt premium cigars from the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) control. Earlier today, Mitch Zeller, the director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco, responded with a letter regarding the petition. In short, the petition to the White House was rejected. Zeller responded by stating that the recently-proposed deeming regulations, which would signal the first step in the FDA’s formal regulation of cigars, allows for premium cigars to be exempted. Zeller indicated that the regulatory body is seeking comment on the exemption to deal with some of the issues mentioned by the premium cigar industry. The full response reads: Thank you for your petition on premium cigars. First, it’s important to remember that regulating a tobacco product isn’t the same as banning it. FDA is not proposing a ban on all cigars or on any type of cigar. Second, although all tobacco products are harmful and potentially addictive, FDA has heard the input from stakeholders about the possible differences in the public health impact of premium cigars compared to other cigars. We are taking this into account as we consider potential regulatory options ...
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