Using Vape Detectors for Prevention
2.13 million youth reported using e-cigarette products in the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Educating students on the risks of vaping is helping to reduce the number of youth who vape, but school officials are struggling with how to stop vaping on campus. One thing they are trying is vape detectors.
Vape detectors work like standard smoke detectors but they are specially designed to detect substances emitted from vaping devices. The detectors notify schools when they are set off, and some of them can work with school camera systems to help narrow down who might have vaped. They are typically installed in bathrooms, locker rooms, or similar areas where students can discreetly vape. This deterrence is helpful because students who do not vape are exposed to secondhand vapors that can negatively impact their health. Deterrence is just the start. The next step is to figure out what to do with students who get caught.
Schools are struggling with how to handle cases when students are caught vaping. A common approach is a zero-tolerance policy where students are suspended when they are caught. The Minnesota Department of Health said, “Using suspension and expulsion to penalize prohibited commercial tobacco use may not be reasonable considering tobacco targeted marketing, science of addiction, and long-term consequences associated with expulsion and suspension.” Students who are caught vaping should be given alternatives to suspension such as education, counseling, or resources to help them quit. Nicotine addiction makes it hard for youth to quit vaping, and giving them support is a better approach than keeping them out of school.
Schools are on the frontlines with preventing youth vaping. Vape detectors can help deter use, but there are drawbacks. The detectors are expensive, and students can find other ways to vape discreetly once they learn about them. Punitive measures are not effective, and many schools do not have the capacity to provide prevention education and resources to students. INDEPTH and My Life My Quit are great programs that teach youth about vaping risks and give them resources and support to quit vaping. Community groups and coalitions can support schools by providing personnel and funding to implement these programs. Youth vaping is a difficult problem, but it can be addressed if everyone works together.
Please check out the resources below for more information.
Resources
American Lung Association – INDEPTH: An Alternative to Suspension or Citation
CDC – Tobacco Product Use Among U.S. Middle and High School Students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2023
HALO Smart Sensor – Vape Detectors are Giving Students Their Bathrooms Back
Minnesota Department of Health – Why Schools Should Implement Alternatives to Suspension for Use and Possession of Commercial Tobacco Products
My Life My Quit – Resources for Parents/Guardians
Ohio Department of Health – Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation
Partner Alliance for Safer Schools – The Role of Vape Sensors in Prevention Efforts to Address the Epidemic of Student E-Cigarette Use
Truth Initiative – Discipline Is Not the Answer: Better Approaches to On-campus Student Tobacco Use
Author’s Note – This article was included in the June 2024 Parent Alert. Parent Alerts are monthly newsletters that contain information about substance use prevention, ideas for fun family activities, important observances for the month, and much more. Sign-up at the link below to start receiving Parent Alerts. You can also find Parent Alerts on the Turning Point Coalition website, or by following Turning Point Coalition on Facebook.
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