While the premium cigar industry is celebrating a victory with the Courts ordering the Deeming Rule for Premium Cigars to be vacated, there are still strong indications the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is continuing to invest in research to shape future regulation of the Premium Cigar industry. Last month, a supplemental issue of the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research was published and includes an editorial overview, “Regulatory Research Advances on Premium Cigars,” and  14 studies divided across three areas. The journal is sponsored by the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT).

The recent court decision only nullified the Deeming Rules put forth by the FDA. The FDA still has the authority to regulate premium cigars, and the results of this study could be an indication of how the FDA will move forward with future regulation.

These topics were covered when the NASEM report was released last year. One thing the NASEM report indicated was that more insight was needed. The overview and 14 studies expand on many of these things.

Marketing strategies and perceptions of use – 5 Studies

1. The Promotion of Premium Cigars on Social Media
2. Exploring the Presence and Type of Premium Cigar Retailers With Neighborhood Sociodemographic Correlates in the United States, 2019–2021
3. The Portrayal of Premium Cigar Selling Propositions in Lifestyle Magazines: A Content Analysis
4. Improving Point-of-Sale Warnings for Single Cigars: Implications for Premium Cigars
5. Premium Cigar Festivals: A Potential Target for Marketing Restrictions

Patterns of use and characteristics of people who use premium cigars – 7 Studies

1. Patterns of Premium and Nonpremium Cigar Use in the United States: Findings from Wave 6 (2021) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study
2. Cross-sectional Patterns and Longitudinal Transitions of Premium and Non-Premium Cigar Use in the United States
3. Cross-sectional Use Patterns and Characteristics of Premium Versus Non-Premium Cigar Smokers in the United States, 2010–2019
4. Estimating Prevalence of Premium or Traditional Cigar Use and User Characteristics Based on Varying Definitions of Use
5. Survey of Premium Versus Large Manufactured Cigars Use in U.S. Consumers
6. Premium and Non-Premium Cigar Use Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Reproductive Age Women: Findings from the 2010–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
7. Examining Cigar Pack Quantity Purchases by Cigar Type in the United States Between 2014 and 2017

Toxicological effects and health outcomes of premium cigar use – 2 Studies

1. Biomarkers of Toxic Exposure and Oxidative Stress Among U.S. Adult Users of Premium Cigar Versus Other Cigar Subtypes: 2013–2019
2. Evaluating Correlations Between Premium Cigar Smoking and Mental Health and Substance Use Dependence Conditions Among U.S. Adults, 2010–2019

Over the next few weeks, Cigar Coop will expand on some of the topics covered in these reports.

Dan Thompson, President of Micallef Cigars, contributed to this article.