I'm remind of the famous words immortalized in song by the legendary Jerry Reed:
Ol' Smokey's got them ears on and he's hot on your trail.
He aint gonna rest 'til you're in jail.
So you got to dodge 'im and you got to duck 'im,
you got to keep that diesel truckin'.
Just put that hammer down and give it hell.
Those words couldn't ring any truer than today in Tennessee. The state police have begun a new “cigarette surveillance program” to intercept people who bring illegal quantities of cigarettes across the state border. The police have agents who are positioned and performing surveillance on out-of-state stores that sell cigarettes near the border. And now you're asking yourself just how much is considered illegal? Well, bring in over 2 cartons of your favorite cigarettes and receive up to 6 months in jail and/or a $500 fine – not to mention getting your car seized! Push the limits up to 25 cartons and you've just committed a felony. That's right! You've earned the right to spend up to 6 years in prison and a fine of up to $3000. From Knoxnews.com:
Written by DignanTennessee’s cigarette tax went from 20 cents per pack to 62 cents per pack effective July 1. All eight states that border Tennessee have lower tax rates, meaning smokers can save up to 45 cents per pack — $4.50 for a 10-pack carton — by purchasing out of state.
The border states with the lowest cigarette taxes are Missouri with 17 cents and Mississippi at 18 cents. The highest is Arkansas with 59 cents.
Kentucky and Virginia both tax cigarettes at 30 cents a pack, North Carolina at 35 cents, Georgia at 37 cents and Alabama at 42.5 cents.
