In New York the city authorities have even tried to shut down cigar bars claiming that they were in breach of the Smoke Free Air Act. Fortunately for patrons of those bars, a judge saw the stupidity of shutting down the one of the few places where cigar smokers were still able to congregate in large numbers and enjoy a good cigar in the company of other cigar smokers.

In other parts of America we do still have some freedom to smoke in public places, but you just have to wonder how long it will be before we’re shut off from those places. In many other parts of the world there are already bans on cigar smoking in public places and it must only be a matter of time before we are facing that situation right across America.

Many states have already shut us out of restaurants, cafes and bars so now is the time to make a stand. Now is the time to start writing to your elected representatives at all levels of government letting them know that you, as a cigar smoker, have rights that need to be protected.

I know that many cigar smokers are really angry and want to protest in the most vehement terms about the treatment we have received at the hands of the local, state and federal governments but perhaps now is the time to be a little more reasoned in our approach.