Vape Detection in Schools: Ensuring a Safe and Healthy Learning Environment

When was the last time you saw a group of high school students lighting up cigarettes? The odds are pretty low, given the world has moved on from the James-Dean cigarette aesthetic pushed by big tobacco and old Hollywood.

However, if you replace the Marlboro Reds with vapes, it's a different story. The truth is that vapes are immensely popular among teens. Make no mistake, just because they look high-tech and don't leave a lasting stench doesn't mean they don't pose serious health issues, specifically for indoor air quality within schools.

Below we explain why the vaping phenomenon is much more sinister than it appears. However, we'll also explain the benefits of vape detectors in schools and how they're highly effective for modern forms of smoking, fashioning a healthier environment for students, faculty, and staff. 

The Growing Concern of Vaping in Schools

If there's one thing you can credit traditional cigarettes with, they're hard to hide. You can't say the same for e-cigs given they don't leave an overpowering smoke and are easy to use discreetly in bathrooms and locker rooms. That's largely why they've grown in popularity. 

The CDC reports that over 2.55 million students use forms of smokeless tobacco, which is 14% of high schoolers and 3.3% of middle school students. 

Unfortunately, one of the largest myths about vapes is that they're healthier than tobacco products, but that's flatly untrue. There are many dangers of vaping, which include serious health risks like:

• Nicotine Addiction

• Heightened Risk of Respiratory Illness

• Exacerbated Mental Health Conditions like Depression and Anxiety

• Constant Inhalation of harmful chemicals like Nicotine, Formaldehyde, and Acrolein

Vapes are newer to mass markets, but many studies indicate that e-cigs cause irreversible lung and brain damage. Fringe effects, like trouble memorizing and learning, are an additional concern. Like tobacco, vaping may have secondhand effects as well, such as causing other students to have trouble focusing or inflaming allergies and respiratory conditions. 

The Importance of Vape Detection in Schools

There's a clear need to combat vaping in school, which prompts the question: can school administrators detect vaping? The answer is yes. Accurate vape detectors already exist, many of which seamlessly fit into existing infrastructures to start monitoring vaping immediately.  

So how do vape detectors work? First, sensors track the concentration of vape particles within indoor environments. Once the concentration exceeds the programmed threshold, it sends real-time alerts to building managers so they can investigate the instance.

Vape detectors for schools are so effective because they provide proactive surveillance to cover large spaces accurately. For example, top-quality detectors sense traces from upwards of 800 feet away, meaning strategic placement easily forms holistic coverage to detect vape presence and issue alerts in under ten seconds. 

Actionable Steps for Implementing Vape Detection Solutions

Let's say your organization or educational environment chooses to implement a vape detection system. First off, congrats! Secondly, it must be implemented correctly with a dedicated approach. 

Step 1: Assess the Scope of the Vaping Issue in Your School

Pinpointing when and where students vape is a huge challenge. First, you must check spaces that are prime vaping environments, such as bathrooms, locker rooms, stairwells, isolated hallways, or empty classrooms. To gain insight, discuss with teachers and staff to gain a better understanding of student vaping habits and the spaces in which they attempt it. 

Step 2: Research and Choose the Right Vape Detection Technology

Not all vape detection software tech works the same. For one, some vape detectors have a lower level of accuracy, limited detection range, and do not have the ability to self-diagnose and test. Always understand these additional features before purchasing. If possible, ask to test the product to confirm the efficacy and quality of the software and platform before installation. 

Step 3: Develop a Clear Policy and Response Plan for Vaping Incidents

Once the system is in place, build a structured process for handling vaping incidents. Students must be made aware of any repercussions, so they can make the choice to quit before they're caught. Also, update all involved in the response plan so they understand their role and exactly what to do during instances of on-campus vaping. This ensures consistency and allows students to understand the outcomes of their actions. 

Step 4: Train Staff and Educate Students About the Dangers of Vaping and the Detection Measures in Place

The goal of vape detection isn't to punish those caught in the act. Rather, it's to monitor and ultimately discourage the use as a matter of long-term health. As such, vape detection systems work best when students understand the penalties. This makes it less of a Big Brother and more of a push to promote healthier spaces that promote learning. 

Likewise, staff and students should know the detection methods in place, as this boosts transparency and clearly explains that smoking on campus results in a direct response. 

Attune's Custom IAQ and Energy Monitoring Solutions for Schools

Many factors are required to fashion school policies that lead to safe learning environments, and quality air is one of them. For a long time, the solutions to track and assess indoor air quality were too rudimentary, failing to provide insight in a timely or useful manner.

New solutions like Attune's IAQ platform and monitoring system have completely transformed the process of tracking air quality. From vape detection to CO2 to mold tests to volatile organic compound composition, Attune's world-class software makes monitoring a school environment painless and effective. It promotes better student healthy environments for learning and is already being used to weaken the severity of the unfolding underage vape epidemic.

To learn more about creating vape-free environments, please feel free to reach out. We're happy to schedule a demo and show you how our products work in action.