Do you really know the difference between a cigar and a cigarette?

By Eddie Glenn TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS (TAHLEQUAH, Okla.)TAHLEQUAH, Okla. —

Everyone knows the difference between a cigar and a cigarette.

Cigars are smoked by used car salesmen; cigarettes are smoked by high school kids.

But now, some states are beginning to wonder if those standards (which, admittedly, might be slightly oversimplified generalizations) apply anymore.

Attorneys general from 39 states and Guam have asked the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to issue new rules to clarify how small cigars – which they claim look remarkably similar to cigarettes – are classified.

Cigarettes are taxed at higher rates and fall under stricter marketing rules than cigars. For example, the youth marketing restrictions imposed on cigarette manufactures as part of their 1998 landmark settlement with the states does not apply to cigar makers.

The attorneys say it is important to act now because sales of small cigars are increasing. They say low prices, and in some cases, sweet flavorings added to little cigars make them attractive to young smokers.

...I'll wait and see the outcome while I have my cigar

The Cushing Daily Citizen, Cushing, Oklahoma - Cigars, cigarettes: Does sweet make the smoke?

technorati tags:cigaretter, small, cigars, tax