Money | flavored cigarettes Clove Cigarettes Banned: Enter Clove 'Small Cigars' FDA, importer disagree over definition of a cigarette By Nick McMaster Posted Oct 27, 2009 4:05 PM CDT Copied In this photo made Aug. 18, 2009, Djarum Black cigars, left, and cigarettes are shown in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) For one California importer of smokes, an awful lot has come to rest on the precise definition of a cigar. After a ban on clove cigarettes went into effect last month, Kretek International slyly began importing Djarum-brand clove “small cigars." They're quite similar to Djarum’s clove cigarettes, though they come in a box of 12—not 20—and are labeled as cigars. The FDA has warned against such steps to sidestep the ban. In response, Kretek filed a complaint with the regulator, accusing it of "deliberately obfuscating" the "definition of cigarette," the Wall Street Journal reports. "If a product is a cigar, it is not a cigarette and vice versa," says the complaint. "Kretek contends that Djarum cigars are cigars"—though the label promises "a smoking experience you have come to expect." A House panel has begun its own investigation into the battle of semantics. Read These Next Gavin Newsom has filed a massive lawsuit against Fox News. Trumps ends trade talks with Canada. New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Report an error