For Churchill’s Sake, Don’t Let the Flame Go Out on the Last Cigar

THE TELEGRAPH: We can’t allow those running the nanny state to have their way

Screenshot taken from this Telegraph article. | The former prime minister is perhaps the most famous cigar smoker in our nation’s history Credit: Bettmann
In the decade or so since it was mandated that cigarettes be sold in plain packaging, that awful grey that serves as backdrop to any newsagent or duty-free shop, I have often found myself marvelling at my own good fortune. For I smoke cigars, or cigarillos, not cigarettes – which means that, when I buy my smokes, they come in their proper colourful containers rather than the bland boxes that would not be out of place in a dystopian film.

My regular smoke of choice is Signature (the rebranded Café Crème) with the light-blue tin, complete with an illustration of the cigarillo, which has always stood out against the boring uniformity of my cigarette-smoking friends’ packets. Even though they have long been defaced by large, ugly health warnings, the packaging has always been unique. A reminder that we are not all the same.

Those times may be over. Ministers’ plans to insist on plain packaging for cigars have sparked fears from tobacconists that it will destroy the market and put storied retailers out of business, while limiting choice for those who wish to light up as imports dry up. » | Liam Kelly | Friday, August 21, 2026

Aren't you just sick to death of all the killjoys? I am. I despise the lot of them. — © Mark Alexander

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Cigars Face Extinction under Labour ‘Nanny State’ Attack

THE TELEGRAPH: Ban on traditional packaging could lead to ‘total wipe-out’ of industry, tobacconists claim

This screenshot has been taken from this Telegraph article. | It could be ‘game over’ for Britain’s cigar industry if the proposed rules come into play | Credit: Jeff Gilbert
Cigars face disappearing from Britain within a matter of years under “nanny state” health plans to make smoking less attractive.

Health ministers are considering fresh proposals to ban them unless they come in plain packaging with graphic photographs, similar to cigarettes.

It threatens to outlaw centuries-old artwork that adorns the boxes and bands of authentic handmade cigars, sold largely by small family businesses that have long been exempt from onerous packaging rules applied to corporate tobacco giants.

The proposals have caused uproar across the industry, which fears the rules will cut off imports to Britain.

Tobacconists are warning the rules will put them “out of business” for good and lead to a “total wipe-out” of the sector within a matter of years. » | Noah Eastwood Money Reporter. Harry Brennan Consumer Affairs Editor | Friday, August 21, 2026

Stop this damn war on smoking! Period! I am no longer a smoker, but even so, I am sick and tired of this war. There are far, far worse, unhealthier things in life than enjoying a cigar or even a cigarette. Until just over four years ago, I smoked for most of my adult life, and I look back on my time as a smoker with joy and affection. I have quit smoking very successfully, but I cannot say I feel any healthier as a result of quitting. And as for the pleasure I get out of life, it is seriously diminished. Do-gooders make me sick! Far sicker than smoking ever did! This perpetual war on smoking is enough to make me want to leave these shores for good. The problem is that our politicians of all stripes have no understanding of joie de vivre and its life-enhancing potential and contribution to longevity. — © Mark Alexander