This is my very first cigar column for the Youngest Brother website. Each month I'll be providing you with news, tips and discussions about cigars. If you have any questions, comments or would like to contribute some tips or news of your own, send me an e-mail. I'll reply to you personally, or if your question or contributions would be helpful to others, I'll publish it on this page.

Hi Folks!

I thought that an appropriate topic to start off with, would be a discussion of the rise in popularity of cigar smoking in the last five years. I find it interesting that as cigarette smoking continues to decline, due to more public awareness of its health hazards, cigar smoking has unexpectedly become a trendy and up-scale national past time.

If you remember back to the years before 1995, cigar smoking was was largely frowned upon and considered less that glamorous. According to "Cigar Aficionado Magazine," cigar sales of handrolled cigars have increased from 100 million to 176 million in the last 4 years. Cigar smoking has become interlaced into the construct of pop culture where celebrities of both sexes appear in public and in movies with cigars in hand. In politics, Bill Clinton is noted for his love of the cigar ( I'll refrain from mentioning Monica ) On the public level, cigar smoking has become a social event for young and old, where men and woman gather at restaurants for elaborate dinners with wines and cigars matched to each course.

As cigar smoking becomes more popular, lawmakers continue to legislate stricter smoking regulations. Local organizations such as our own Orange County Restaurant and Tavern Association of New York State, continue to lobby against these strict anti-smoking laws. It is agreed that smoking is unhealthy, but adequate measures such as separate seating and ventilation have already been implimented by restaurants to accommodate both smokers and non-smokers. Banning smoking from restaurants and bars would most likely create an economic hardship for owners by discouraging the patronage of almost 50% of their bar clientele. Thanks to the efforts of these lobbyist groups, you and I in Orange County are still able to enjoy the pleasures of an after dinner smoke and participate in those superb Cigar Dinner Events.

Why cigar smoking has increased in popularity may be attributed to the notion that it is a less toxic alternative to the smoker since inhalation is not necessary inorder to derive pleasure from it. But it may also be that cigar smoking has become more like an appreciation of something fine, rather than a substitute for cigarette smoking. Premium handrolled cigars are pure tobacco without additives, each type being marked by a distinct uniqueness of flavor and burning quality resulting from the selection and blending of refined tobacco leaves indigenous to particular regions much like grapes are to wine, and sometimes possess a history such as the Lonsdale, which was made to order for the Earl of Lonsdale in England circa 1928.

Cigar smoking is more than just a fix for boredom or a Hollywood prop. It is an artful avocation that integrates the enjoyment of experiencing the wide variety of cigars, learning their distinguishing attributes, background and history, and the social interaction that is available through cigar clubs and dinners. The extent to which avid smokers of cigars become passionately involved in their cigar hobby is indicated by the terms "cigar lovers" or "aficianados." With so much enthusiasm being generated by the cigar hobbyists, it is easy to understand why the popularity of cigar smoking continues to rise.