Two cigar industry trade groups and a smokers' rights organization are suing to stop the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from regulating cigars like cigarettes and some other tobacco products.

The Cigar Association of America, the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association and Cigar Rights of America have asked the U.S. District Court of D.C. to toss a recently adopted FDA rule that extends agency's authority to regulate tobacco products like cigars, hookah (waterpipe) tobacco and pipe tobacco.

"After a thorough and detailed legal review, we are challenging this unlawful regulatory action in federal court to protect the statutory and constitutional rights of our industry and its members," IPCPR CEO Mark Pursell said. "The fact that all three of our organizations are acting in one voice speaks to the urgency and seriousness of this action."

FDA previously regulated cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco, but in May it finalized a rule extending its regulatory authority to all other tobacco products, from cigars to e-cigarettes. The new rule is scheduled to go into effect Aug. 8.

"Before this final rule, these products could be sold without any review of their ingredients, how they were made, and their potential dangers," said Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. "Under this new rule, we're taking steps to protect Americans from the dangers of tobacco products, ensure these tobacco products have health warnings, and restrict sales to minors." http://bit.ly/2a8YHdL

In their complaint, the cigar associations challenge a number of provisions in the new rule. One would require cigar packages to prominently display health warnings. Another requires manufacturers of tobacco products that were not on the market by early 2007 to meet current legal health standards.

"We got a broad, one-size-fits-all rule that fails to account for how cigars and premium cigars are manufactured, distributed, sold and consumed in the United States," CIA President Craig Williamson said. "The FDA exceeded its statutory authority and violated the federal rulemaking process when crafting this set of broad and sweeping regulations." http://bit.ly/29XGwJ0

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