FDA bans Bidis ” mini cigars “

The FDA has used its new powers to stop a manufacturer from selling and distributing a unique type of mini cigar on Friday. It’s called a Bidi. A Bidi (or Beedi) is a traditional method of tobacco use throughout South Asia and parts of the Middle East. We don’t sell Bidis but  we have mentioned them in this blog before.

The question we ask is now that the FDA has used it’s new power to start banning tobacco products will it continue to move up the food chain? Some view the FDA banning these mini cigars as a way to setup precedent to eventually go after premium cigars.

Bidis are enjoyed by a small minority of tobacco users in the United States. This makes the likelihood of opposition low for the FDA as the vast majority of tobacco users never have used this product. That being stated it IS a tobacco product that would be described as an Indian hand made mini cigar.

That hits too close to home for many individuals that read the BCP blog.

Beedis manufacturing employs over 3 million Indians and it is considered an important industry as it does feed and put clothes on those individuals. In the United States it is sold in many convenience stores and is typically imported from India and other nations in that region. Much like premium cigars are mostly manufactured outside of the United States and imported in.

We hope that the FDA’s decision is not just a stepping stone towards a great militaristic stance against premium cigars.