Clove smokers struggling under FDA ban

SOUTH MIAMI, Fla., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Clove cigarette smokers in South Florida said they are among the U.S. residents struggling under a Food and Drug Administration ban on flavored smokes.

With the federal agency enacting a ban on cigarettes with flavors that would appeal to children, clove cigarette smokers are no longer able to purchase their favorite tobacco goods from U.S. stores, The Miami Herald said Wednesday.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Act was signed in June, giving all U.S. tobacco businesses and manufacturers three months to cease offering flavored cigarettes.

William Carroll, who manages a cigar shop in South Miami, Fla., said he is concerned the ban could be a precursor to additional tobacco product limits.

"What Hollywood is to actors, Miami is to cigars," Carroll said. "We wonder if its cloves first, then what's next?"

For Nicole Chipi, 20, the ban means she and her fellow clove cigarette smokers are facing prosecution if they attempt to purchase their favorite cigarettes online.

"We're all figuring out what to do," she told the Herald.