Do you know....

....the FACTS about the Florida Cigar Industry??? As listed at the 2010 Florida Cigar Summit, here are a few FACTS about the Cigar Industry in Florida:

• Cigars have been made in Florida since 1831
• Today, 70% of the cigars sold in the U.S. are either made or imported through Florida
• There are over 250 Small Business "Mom-and-Pop" cigar shops in Florida
• There are over 60 Family-Owned, Small Business Cigar Manufacturers, Leaf Dealers, Importers and Cigar Company Headquarters in Florida
• Cigars are enjoyed as a SOCIAL hobby, not as an addictive habit
• Cigars are an ADULT product that are very price sensitive - demand is greatly affected by increasing taxes, especially taxes related to total weight
• Cigar taxes are JOB KILLERS!
• Cigar taxes increased 700% last year at a Federal Level, one of the highest tax increases on any product in recorded history!
• Last year's cigar tax increase in Florida led to the closing of the 105-year old Hav-a-Tampa factory in August of 2009, putting 500 people out-of-work in the middle of a recession.
• Over 5,500 people are still today directly or indirectly employed in the Florida Cigar Industry; any additional tax on the state level would put most of them out of work.