For freedom. For his customers. For his employees and their families.

Newman, of J.C. Newman cigars, seeks the exemption of premium cigars from FDA meddling:

But Newman and his industry now have a second chance under a new administration that touts itself as anti-regulation and pro-business.

The FDA has announced it is willing to reconsider the 2016 decision. It began accepting public input in March on whether premium cigars should be exempt from oversight. The comment period runs through June 25.

In Tampa, known as Cigar City for its history as an epicenter for the industry, this is welcome news for those who roll premium cigars. They claim the governance could financially hurt or even put them out of business.

“Over regulation can harm small business,” said Newman, who employs 135 at his Ybor factory, the last in a city that once hosted dozens. The company has been in business for 123 years.

Those interested in helping the fight can do so at the Federal Register, right now. Make a comment, make your voice heard. Here’s mine:

Dear Public Servants:

The FDA (which I cannot find in the U.S. Constitution) has no legitimate business regulating premium cigars. Nor is any regulation, outside that of the free market, needed. The FDA knows well that casual, daily cigar smoking poses no risk of increased health problems. See: Article: FDA STUDY: CANCER RISKS NEARLY NIL FOR 1-2 CIGARS PER DAY, http://www.heartland.org, AUGUST 25, 2016, Dr. Brad Rodu (https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/fda-study-cancer-risks-nearly-nil-for-1-2-cigars-per-day); Study: Systematic review of cigar smoking and all cause and smoking related mortality, Cindy M. Chang, et al, 2015 (https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-1617-5)(a comprehensive, multi-decade medical review of amalgamated study sources).

All regulation of the cigar industry is misguided, a waste of resources, and a dire threat to the well-being of those U.S. citizens employed in the cigar industry along with their dependent families, to say nothing of the millions of sensible American adults who happily enjoy cigars and freedom. Such regulation represents a real violation of associated liberty interests of the free people (interests which are found in the Constitution).

Accordingly, please abolish all FDA regulations concerning premium cigars and tobacco. Also, I suggest restitution be paid by the U.S. Treasury to all cigar companies previously affected by such existing regulation.

Kindly leave well enough alone.

Thank you.

The other side of this issue, the heavy-handed, anti-freedom, SJW side, which vaguely resembles the proponent side of gun control communism, relies on outright, known falsehoods:

On that point, Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, noted in a statement that the agency has already weighed in.

“The FDA rightly rejected the option of exempting premium cigars,” Myers said, “finding all cigars increase the risk of disease, are potentially addictive and produce secondhand smoke that can cause disease to non-users.”

I’ve been in a lot of cigar shops over many years. I’ve never seen a single child smoke a cigar. I do, however, follow the facts, which conclusively demonstrate that cigars pose no additional health risks whatsoever. In fact, time was when cigars were recommended by doctors as curative treatment for a variety of ailments – even for the children. That’s how Teddy Roosevelt beat asthma.

Thank you, Mr. Newman.

Save Cigar City! Save freedom!

Tampa Bay Times/ Scott Keeler.