E-cigarette stores rolling into Palatine

An e-cigarette store was approved by the Palatine village council Monday night, making it the second such store to be given the green light in the past two months.

The new store will be called Drag-On E-Cigarettes and Juice and will be located at 1613 N. Rand Road next to the Chicago Clock Co. store.

In February, Palatine councilmen approved a similar store called The Vape House, which is located at 401 N. Northwest Hwy.

Both stores sell E-cigarettes, which are cigarette-shaped devices that contain a nicotine-based liquid, which is sometimes called juice, that is vaporized and inhaled. State law prohibits sales of e-cigarettes to minors and the state Senate is considering a bill that would ban possession by people younger than 18.

Alex Simpson, who is a manager at a Buffalo Grove store called Tobacco Road which is owned by the same Florida-based owner, touted the health benefits of their products before the council Monday night.

"E-cigarettes is something that's a lot healthier for people," Simpson said. "There's no chemicals, there's no tar, there's no ash."

In addition to selling e-cigarettes, Drag-On will also sell loose tobacco that customers can blend and have rolled into conventional cigarettes using a machine at the store.

"It rolls out the carton in 8-10 minutes, the customer boxes it themselves and goes on with their day," Simpson said.

Ben Vyverberg, the director of zoning and planning, said the village has heard from another petitioner considering opening another e-cigarette store in Palatine.