Sigarformann og Frp-donor frykter det verste: – Jeg har nesten gitt opp

Sigarformann Ole Gunnar Hauso fears the worst for his beloved hobby, stating he has almost given up. The 99-year-old cigar industry in Oslo, Sol Cigar Co., worries about its future as the EU's tobacco directive comes into effect. Soon, all tobacco products must be registered with Norwegian authorities, aligning with EU regulations.

This new rule costs 8,500 kroner per type of "other smoked tobacco," including cigars, tobacco sticks, and pipe tobacco. Each registered item incurs an annual fee of 3,000 kroner. The deadline to register products for sale in Norway is September 30. Meanwhile, Norwegian health authorities have warned they will introduce stricter health warnings on tobacco products to comply with EU directives.

For Sol Sigar Co. in Oslo's city center, registering and paying the fee for hand-rolled cigars alone could cost 7.3 million kroner in the first year. Hauso argues that a hand-rolled cigar is not as harmful as a cigarette, as no one inhales cigar smoke. He is proud to have introduced this joy to 20-year-olds. He discovered this pleasure in his 20s, during a 2023 New Year's party in the US where cigars were served.

For him, it's about the good flavors, and it's about the Cuban cigars that matter. The Cuban cigars represent a tasting experience, like wine. Frp donor Ole Gunnar Hauso, who donated 22 million kroner to Frp in the election years 2023 and 2025, is now free to support his party friends. He disagrees with the idea of treating cigars and cigarettes the same, as the EU allows for other solutions.

Frp's health spokesman Kristian Eilertsen declines E24's request to be photographed with a cigar on Løvebakken outside Stortinget. He does not smoke cigars. However, he supports the campaign for this industry and asks for clarification from government officials. He believes the government has chosen overly restrictive regulations when reasonable solutions could be found.

The Ministry of Health and Care Services proposed a sector levy instead of a per-product fee earlier this year, but this proposal is currently under review in the Storting.