Puff Daddies & Mommies: Are They Paying the Price?
What was once reserved for the over 60 rich-man club, has now become a trendy, glamorous even “in” thing for people of all ages, status and backgrounds to do.
by
Kelly
Tokarski
We've seen Chuck Norris, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, Ellen Barken, Susan Lucci and former President George Bush do it. We've seen rich, poor, young and old men and women do it. We've even seen fitness fanatic Arnold Swartezeneggar do it. Do what you ask? Smoke cigars, that is. What was once reserved for the over 60 rich-man club has now become a trendy, glamorous even "in" thing for people of all ages, status and backgrounds to do.
Throughout the past decade, cigar smoking has been all the rage, with an influx of cigar bars, clubs, shops, magazines, groups, dinners and themed parties popping up all around the country. With media spotlights of celebrities puffing stogies, restaurants featuring cigar nights and golf tournaments sporting crowds of stogie-smoking fans, it's no wonder Americans have embraced this fad.
But this fad costs - a lot. Cigars aren't cheap. People are paying big bucks for premium stogies. "Two of my biggest selling cigars are Bahia Gold and Davidoff," said Ann Abajian manager of Mardo's Cigars & Tobacco in Aliso Viejo. "Customers think nothing of dropping $25 for a couple of cigars."
Since 1993, cigar sales in the United States have increased by almost 50 percent, with the largest rise occurring in sales of large cigars. There are now an estimated 1 million smokers of premium cigars in the United States. According to a 1997 article in Forbes Magazine, the growth of cigar smoking is due in part to a new breed of trend surfers with money to burn.
The idea of sending 20 bucks up in smoke makes them feel powerful. It's a way of thumbing one's nose at political correctness, especially in California where anti-smoking laws have come full force. Nevertheless, trends come and go and like all hot trends, this one - too -- will cool. Once everyone's doing it, it's not trendy anymore. And as recent studies have shown, the cigar craze is starting to burn out.
Sales at many cigar shops around the country have either leveled off or have decreased. Restaurants are hosting fewer "cigar nights" and people are choosing to spend their money on other things like food, clothing and shelter. And, as new trends emerge on the scene, people will forget even more about cigars. Nothing lasts forever. But, smoking cigars is not entirely just a trend -- it's a habit that people have enjoyed for centuries.
For those who enjoy lighting up at special occasions, while golfing or after a long day of work, cigar smoking is true pleasure. And what's wrong with a little pleasure? Life is short, and people will always do what they truly enjoy, disregarding what is trendy or not.
Puff Daddies & Mommies: Are They Paying the Price?