Filtered Cigars??? Who are we kidding?

[timj219]

I received a catalog the other day from an online cigar store. Featured on the front page were cartons of ten packs of twenty "filtered cigars". Now I live in upstate New York and the tobacco taxes here are absurdly high and B&Ms have to fight every day to get legislators to separate cigars from cigarettes when they come up with new taxes and regulations. Sometimes they succeed but mostly they don't. Which is part of the reason the last B&M within 50 miles of my house went out of business a couple years ago. Products like these "filtered cigars" seem to me obviously targeted at skirting the laws against mail order cigarettes and seem to support the claims of those who don't like exempting cigars from the rules that govern cigarette sales.

I think this tactic crosses the line that separates honest competition from unfair and malignant business practice. I believe it's killing B&Ms in my state and hurts all cigar smokers so I've decided I won't buy from them. Am I wrong on this? And even if I'm right in principle am I wrong to single out this particular seller? I've never seen these products advertised by other sellers but maybe all the online guys do it?

Disclaimer: I'm not disputing this company's right to do business however they see fit - I'm merely considering exercising my own right to buy where I see fit.