NEW vape detectors being installed in schools will cost the district thousands.
School officials hope these new detectors will deter students from smoking in school.
Cypress and Loara high schools in Anaheim, California, are dishing out $75,120 to try and stop teenage smoking.
The hefty fee includes purchasing the equipment, software, installation, and taxes.
The school board members unanimously approved the purchase of the detectors during a board meeting on March 6, local CW affiliate KTLA reported.
The vape detectors will be installed in restrooms and locker rooms on both campuses.
After paying the initial fees, the detectors will cost the schools an annual fee of $4,023.
The school decided to partner with the company HALO for the sensors due to its unique ability to detect more than tobacco smoke.
As per John Bautista, who is a spokesperson for Anaheim Union High School District, the detectors have the ability to distinguish between vaping, vaping with THC, and deliberately trying to conceal vaping activities by using aerosols.
The sensors will last around seven years.
Assistant superintendent Jaron Fried mentioned to the Voice of OC that the sensors are not only aimed at reducing vaping incidents but are also designed to be proactive in deterring individuals from engaging in such behaviors.
Fried said the sensors will be linked to an app alerting campus security and administrators if vaping is detected.
The installation of the sensors comes right around the same time as teenage vaping levels drop nationwide.
The Food and Drug Administration reported that in 2024, 2.25 million middle and high school students disclosed current use (defined as use on one or more days within the last 30 days) of any tobacco product, a decrease from 2.80 million in 2023.
“This decline was largely attributable to the significant drop in the number of students who reported current e-cigarette use (2.13 million youth in 2023 compared to 1.63 million youth in 2024).”
The report also found that cigarette use has reached the lowest recorded level.
Executive director of educational services Robert Saldivar said the sensors also detec loud sounds, which can alert staff if a fight breaks out.
The sensors don’t have cameras, so privacy will not be violated, but they will work in conjunction with the school’s security cameras placed outside locker rooms and restrooms.
All about the vape sensors
The vaping sensors can:
- Detect vape smoke in bathrooms
- Differentiate between vaping, vaping with THC, and intentionally masking vaping behavior by using aerosols
- Alert school security and administrators of vape smoke
- Detect loud noises
The security systems working in unison will make it easier to find the culprits.
“We used to have the [drug detection] dogs come once a month, but this is every day,” said Fried.
In addition to installing sensors, the school will continue its “Red Ribbon Week,” which aims to deter students from using drugs and tobacco.
The sensors in the two high schools will serve as test pilots for the Anaheim school district, with the possibility of adding more to other schools.
