Online Tobacco

Industry News: Have a high handicap? Try a stogie

According to Tony Sanchez, an excellent way for a higher-handicap player to relax and take tension out of his body on the golf course - and therefore reduce his score - is to smoke a stogie.

Sanchez is co-owner and tobacconist at Santa Fe Cigar Company, 137-D West San Francisco St. and 510 Galisteo, which carry 80 to 100 kinds of cigars.

"Smoking cigars has definitely helped my playing because they keep me calm," Sanchez said. "I light one up on the first and a different one on the 10th tee.

"I play in the mornings, so I start with a light cigar, and then on the back nine go to a heavier one, particularly if I've eaten. You never should smoke a heavy cigar on an empty stomach, because it gives you a head buzz, which doesn't help your game."

Industry News: LETTER: High tobacco taxes

As a senior citizen smoker who pays a huge amount of tax on my cigarettes, I understand that over GBP8 billion a year is collected in tobacco tax. So, if according to your report (15 January), 13,500 Scots smokers die each year, I am sure they have paid for any treatment they needed.

I hope the tax paid by smokers is not used for the grant to ASH Scotland, which the health minister, Susan Deacon, is in-creasing by GBP25,000 a year.