Vape Detectors in School Bathroom Stalls
Are detectors enough to stop vaping?
E-cigarette use has been a problem among the youth for a while. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study in 2022 that showed 14.1 % of high school students used an E-cigarette in the last 30 days. While these numbers have decreased in 2024 to 7.8 % of high schoolers using an E-cigarette, unfortunately, middle schoolers didn’t see a decrease. In fact, this demographic saw an increase of 0.2 %, from 3.3 % to 3.5 % in 2024. To combat such issues, Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) has taken decisive measures to ensure the safety of its students by adding vape detectors in the bathrooms.
Back in February 2023, Juul, a common E-cigarette producer, lost a lawsuit for allegedly targeting teens with its vaping products. They paid a total of $1.7 billion in fines and LPS received $1.3 million of that amount. Accounting for legal fees and other costs, the total sum amounted to around $955k. From the start, LPS decided to use the money for vape prevention.
Installing the vape detections has proven to be costly. The cost to buy and install 150 vape detectors was almost $200k. LPS is working on buying 150 more, which would cost about $170k and another $45k to speed the process. LPS plans on installing vape detection devices in all eight public high schools and 12 middle schools. Installing the devices in every bathroom means that LPS will need around 600 vape detection devices in total.
Lincoln East High School was the first to get vape detection installed in the bathrooms. Students and parents were informed prior to the installations and the bathrooms had signs letting people know that a vape detector was inside. Despite being forewarned, the devices went off over 100 times the first week. By February, incidents dropped to about ten per week. Electronic hall passes came into effect last school year and they have been instrumental in figuring out who the violators are when the devices have detected vapor. The devices are capable of sounding and lighting up, but LPS has decided to go with a more covert option. Those who are caught face a punishment of either enrolling in a Vape Education program or facing suspension. Since LPS hasn’t purchased enough vape detection devices, they plan on installing them in the high schools first and then the middle schools. Gone are the days when high school bathrooms smelled like pina colada, blue raspberry or spearmint.
by Stuart Cuateco