"Tennessee Ends Cigarette Surveillance"

Source from:  wkrn.com 01/10/2008

The Tennessee Department of Revenue is ending its surveillance program used to catch people bringing too many cigarettes across state lines. The state launched the program in July, after the state cigarette tax increased by 20 cents a pack to 62 cents and higher than neighboring states. Commissioner Reagan Farr said the program accomplished its goal of educating people state law allows people to bring up to two cartons or 20 packs of cigarettes from across the state line. Agents have seized more than 31,000 packs of cigarettes from September through the end of December. Agents seized 8,104 packs in December, down from 11, 567 in... November. The department said they have accomplished their goal of educating people about the law. They said they will still enforce the law, but it won't conduct scheduled surveillance of tobacco stores in neighboring states. Enditem