Heinrich Villiger and 5 cigars Answers

Heinrich Villiger and 5 cigars Answers: At the beginning of 2021, I sent Heinrich Villiger 5 questions on the subject of „Laws against cigars“. Heinrich Villiger is a living cigar legend. To complement this article, and so that you can get to know Heinrich Villiger a little better, I have a nice bonus for you: After his 5 answers, you will also find a film that I produced to celebrate the 30th anniversary of „5TH Avenue Products Trading-GmbH“.

In response to my request for an interview, he replied: „Dear Vasilij, I am happy to answer your 5 questions - from my perspective - as follows.“

Why does the WHO want to destroy the tobacco industry? The countries collect taxes every year, that would fall away.

The WHO - World Health Organisation - is a global organisation for the protection of human health. If I am not mistaken, the WHO has around 100 member countries that finance this organisation based in Geneva. The latest news before the swearing-in of the new US President „Biden“: The USA, or rather Trump, recently stopped making payments to the WHO because he is not satisfied with its performance. The WHO considers tobacco consumption to be the greatest preventable cancer risk - lung cancer as a result of cigarette smoking in particular. Of course, the cigarette industry also realises this and has launched a very large number of „alternative products“ on the market in recent years, which are no longer burnt but „vaporised“ with less (or no) lung-damaging residues.

As these products are not tobacco products, they cannot be taxed as tobacco products. Here the opinions of the industry on the one hand and the tax authorities on the other are not in agreement - the states cannot do without tobacco taxes. In Germany - just as an example - the tobacco tax on cigarettes alone amounts to one billion euros per month.

What powerful lobby is behind this?

There are two parties involved: the state on the one hand and the cigarette industry, which has developed these new „alternative products“ itself, on the other. The arguments of the cigarette industry and other manufacturers are that these new products are less harmful and should therefore not be taxed.

There are allegations that the tobacco industry itself is behind these bans so that it can launch new products and thus push the sale of classic tobacco products even further?

However, this whole issue is much more complex: it also involves the well-known smoking bans (as in the catering trade, etc.). Do these new products also fall under these? The question is controversial. 

The people who pass these laws against cigars, what must make them tick?

There are - and always have been - the four „classic“ categories of tobacco products: 

-> the so-called „fine cut“ for „rolling“ home-made cigarettes (by the consumer)

-> the industrially manufactured mass product „cigarette“

-> Cigars and cigarillos (machinemade and - in the case of cigars - also ‚handmade‘)

-> the pipe tobacco

This is also the order of importance, including for the tax revenue in the coffers of the finance ministries. But for the „health apostles“, smoke is smoke, regardless of where it comes from. At least - in our favour - cigar and pipe smokers are certified as not inhaling the smoke like cigarette smokers and are therefore „healthier“ smokers.

How do you personally see the future of the cigar industry, say in the next 10, 50, 100 years?

The big question is indeed where the development is heading, which we are of course also observing. The two new categories ENDS (Electronic Nicotine Dispenser Systems) and ENNDS (Electronic Non Nicotine Dispenser Systems) - i.e. the vaporisers of „tobacco plugs“ and so-called „liquids“ in all possible and impossible flavour variations - have achieved a considerable market volume in recent years.

Even traditional tobacco shops cannot avoid this business. Cigarettes are particularly affected by this. According to our market observations, cigar and cigarillo smokers remain loyal to these brands. The sales trend for handmade or hand-rolled cigars from the Caribbean (Cuba and the Dominican Republic) and Central America (Nicaragua and Honduras) is particularly positive. Cigar production is „booming“ in these countries. 

Overall, the cigar industry is currently doing well (worldwide). It has only been marginally affected by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the duty-free business has suffered because all air travel has collapsed. But cigar smokers continue to smoke and buy their cigars from „conventional“ retailers. I therefore take a positive view of the future of our industry. The „image“ of our products is and remains positive.

To mark the 30th anniversary in 2019, I made a short film about the history of 5TH Avenue with Heinrich Villiger: