Smoking and IDs

Lucky Green wrote:

>As signs in any liquor store have been informing tobacco customers for
>months, new FDA regulations require stores to check the ID of any tobacco
>customer under 25. This despite the fact that you are legally allowed to
>purchase tobacco products at age 18. If the store fails to check the ID of
>a person legally permitted to conduct the purchase but is under age 25, the
>store faces hefty fines.
........................................................

Thanks for providing more details on this, Lucky, I overlooked the fact
that not everyone on the list will understand the situation was referring
to.   Another odd thing:    I was talking to the clerk at a convenience
store about the ID sign next to the register, and she said that on the
other hand, there aren't any such requirements for the purchase of any of
the cigars which were on display on the counter.

Another odd thing is how popular cigars have become lately.  Last month I
bought a copy of "Cigar Aficionado" magazine to peruse, even though I don't
smoke, because it was so pretty :>) and spent quite some time looking at
their web site.   It is a curious matter that when one "vice" is squelched,
another grows in its place.   This magazine really emphasizes living "the
good life", and I discovered that there are places springing up all over
the U.S. (and I expect elsewhere) which are smoking clubs - people can
actually go there just to smoke their cigar, perhaps with a glass of
after-dinner liquor.    I thought this was a great idea, myself, because
here these people can be with others who enjoy the same activity, and
there's no one outside who can complain (not yet, anyway). 

I think sometimes it is not only a Truth, but a great & useful Means to an
End, that "living well is the best revenge".

Not sure how this will apply to transponder implants, though.   A subject
for late-night speculation.

At 1:32 AM -0700 9/4/97, Blanc wrote:
>Another odd thing is how popular cigars have become lately.  Last month I
>bought a copy of "Cigar Aficionado" magazine to peruse, even though I don't
>smoke, because it was so pretty :>) and spent quite some time looking at
>their web site.   It is a curious matter that when one "vice" is squelched,
>another grows in its place.   This magazine really emphasizes living "the
>good life", and I discovered that there are places springing up all over
>the U.S. (and I expect elsewhere) which are smoking clubs - people can
>actually go there just to smoke their cigar, perhaps with a glass of
>after-dinner liquor.    I thought this was a great idea, myself, because
>here these people can be with others who enjoy the same activity, and
>there's no one outside who can complain (not yet, anyway).

My interpretation is that many people are fed up with the anti-smoking
Nazis.  The most "in your face" form of smoking is cigars.  So they smoke
cigars.  The hard core smoke Cuban cigars.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz       | The Internet was designed  | Periwinkle -- Consulting
(408)356-8506     | to protect the free world  | 16345 Englewood Ave.
frantz@netcom.com | from hostile governments.  | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

At 01:32 AM 9/4/97 -0700, Blanc wrote:
>Lucky Green wrote:
>
>>As signs in any liquor store have been informing tobacco customers for
>>months, new FDA regulations require stores to check the ID of any tobacco
>>customer under 25. This despite the fact that you are legally allowed to

The FDA rules that took effect last February (since when did the FDA gain 
authority over 7-11?) say that anyone who "appears to be under 27 years of 
age" has to be carded.  

>>purchase tobacco products at age 18. If the store fails to check the ID of
>>a person legally permitted to conduct the purchase but is under age 25, the
>>store faces hefty fines.
>........................................................
>
>Another odd thing is how popular cigars have become lately.  Last month I
>bought a copy of "Cigar Aficionado" magazine to peruse, even though I don't
>smoke, because it was so pretty :>) and spent quite some time looking at
>their web site.   It is a curious matter that when one "vice" is squelched,
>another grows in its place.   This magazine really emphasizes living "the
>good life", and I discovered that there are places springing up all over
>the U.S. (and I expect elsewhere) which are smoking clubs - people can
>actually go there just to smoke their cigar, perhaps with a glass of
>after-dinner liquor.    I thought this was a great idea, myself, because
>here these people can be with others who enjoy the same activity, and
>there's no one outside who can complain (not yet, anyway). 

Cigars are not covered by the recent Tobacco Agreement either.  Nor are 
foreign or "boutique" cigarette brands.  Business opportunity?  

>I think sometimes it is not only a Truth, but a great & useful Means to an
>End, that "living well is the best revenge".

Even cigarette smoking is having a bit of a revival in movies and among the 
young.  After all, in a world which has abolished sin it is a genuine 
government-certified sin.

Evita Rodham Clinton wrote a column attacking Julia Roberts for smoking in 
"My Best Friend's Wedding."  When asked about the attack during a publicity 
appearance for "Conspiracy Theory,"  Mel Gibson defended his co-star by 
saying "I'll stop smoking when they stop lying."

DCF


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP for Personal Privacy 5.0
Charset: noconv

iQCVAwUBNA7M6YVO4r4sgSPhAQFR7QQA1l/v7FJAGC1KJxKTFwBk4KWgkeQn5iD0
U8UpM56HShwAhIdtukWtq3Dy17kvZ1z/GJS0aKwIrWbNdKPeCIZ+yERA2M+UbJPh
TwKpwScBy0J+435xoORs7VsZsmdlfXpzjKlltVEox4rMHuQ4X5Wpv5xOkKSjW+Nj
+orzNm+Plbo=
=+UDW
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----