Wednesday, February 06 2008
By Scott Williams
Milwaukee Journal Sentinal
Alongside a variety of 50 different cigars, David Andrea offers customers a few brands of specialty cigarettes.
But he is considering taking the cigarettes off his shelves.
The Kenosha retailer has joined cigar shop owners from Milwaukee, Waukesha and elsewhere in a new statewide coalition to defend their favorite smokes in the political arena.
Part of the strategy for the Cigar Store Alliance of Wisconsin is to distinguish cigars from cigarettes by arguing that the group's beloved stogies are less widespread, less addictive, even less unhealthy.
"We're not the same thing," Andrea said. "We're not evil tobacco."
In less than a year, the alliance has flexed its clout to help derail a statewide smoking ban and to snuff a tax increase on cigars.
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