Large cigars, cigarettes, kitty litter and taxes.

[stargazer14]

That explains the trend towards larger cigars!

"Their secret: Using fillers such as the clay found in cat litter or stuffing the products with more tobacco to tip the scales in their favor. The heavier weight let the companies sidestep a 2,653 percent increase in a federal excise tax, taking advantage of a 2009 law that spared so-called big cigars.

There were 22 companies producing small cigars in the year before the law created the new tax structure, according to data from the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Twelve of those companies, none of which the government would name, either switched to or increased production of large cigars in the year following the law, the bureau found."

[finecigar]

This an interesting read. Its crazy what some companies will do to avoid taxes. Those cigars in that photo provided look terribly ugly.

I wish they would release the 22 company names, I am just curious..

[mazolaman]

Blimey..

Intersesting read though...tax..tax..tax.

[rsanz]

Some of those 'large cigars' sure sound small and cigarette sized to me. Just how big are some of the things?

[cigcars]

* He's right...those seegars are U-U-U-U-U-G-L-E-E!!!

[PigFish]

Great read mate, thanks for posting.

There is no such thing as a free market anymore. As governments become market makers and breakers, consumer choices and good prices go out the window! Your freedom goes out the window with it...

-Piggy

[mazolaman]

In the interest of balance.....

There is no such thing as society (Margeret Thatcher).

There is no such thing as social conscience and a caring state.

If you have no freedom, it is because you are a wage slave, paying your tax to fill the holes left by the top 1% own 39.9 % of the world's household wealth, a total greater than the wealth of the lowest 95%, and who feel no moral need to pay their taxes.

Whoopee to the free market.

Just saying.....