Alternative Smoke Shop, located at 7184 Manchester, is scheduled to open its doors in mid May and will sell electronic cigarettes, nicotine liquid and accessories. The Maplewood location will be the second e-cigarette retail location for owners Jerry Feranec and Ken Poteet who opened their first store in Overland in December.
Feranec and Poteet hope to open on May 17, in time for Taste of Maplewood. Five employees have been hired and trained, leaving one position left to fill.
The rising popularity of electronic cigarettes has drawn the attention of the federal government which has shown interest in regulating the industry. Feranec and Poteet are not worried about any coming regulations.
“We already comply with the proposed regulations,” says Feranec. “We do not sell to minors and we have warning labels saying the products contain nicotine.”
Feranec mixes the nicotine liquid in-house and says the shop will offer liquid in a variety of flavors that contain all nicotine levels, including zero milligrams of nicotine. The shop will not sell tobacco products.
Critics of the electronic cigarette industry claim the lack of regulation is dangerous while some supporters of e-cigarettes claim the products are safer than using tobacco and have helped smokers kick the habit.
Feranec and Poteet look forward to opening the shop and doing business in Maplewood.
Awesome! Maybe I can convince my smoker to go local and quit smoking! đŸ™‚