Schools invest in vape detection systems as vaping incidences among children rise
- russellgrace
- Jul 28, 2023
- 2 min read
An increasing number of schools are turning to vape detection technology to counter the growing prevalence of illicit vaping by pupils, as Ron Alalouff reports.
Whether or not headlines such as “vaping epidemic” and “vaping crisis” may be overblown, the incidence of vaping among children and teenagers is on the increase. Latest figures from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) suggest that more than 20% of children have tried vaping. While just under 12% of children and teenagers only vaped once or twice, 7.6% were regularly vaping.
The proportion of children and teenagers currently vaping is more than double those who say they smoke – 7.6% compared to 3.6%.
The increased incidence of children vaping has led to schools installing vape detection systems – particularly in toilets where pupils tend to gather to vape. The advantage of such systems compared to CCTV is that they can be installed in cubicles without any privacy concerns, as they don’t capture video or audio.
Vape detectors are quite different from smoke detectors and are designed to serve different purposes.
While smoke detectors use technologies such as ionization and photoelectric sensors to detect the presence of smoke, vape detectors have a sensor that analyses the air in its environment and detects the presence of vape aerosol.
Some detectors can also detect smoke from cigarettes and cannabis, and can monitor general air quality.
The two principal features of vape detectors are:
Sensors: Vape detection systems use different types of sensors to detect the presence of vaping aerosol or its associated components. Particulate sensors detect and measure the particulate matter in the air, which is present when vaping occurs. They can identify the size, concentration, and composition of particles associated with vaping. Chemical sensors, on the other hand, analyze the air quality and detect specific compounds or chemicals commonly found in e-cigarette aerosol. These sensors can be calibrated to identify the unique chemical signatures of vaping aerosol.
Air sampling: Vape detection systems often include air sampling mechanisms to collect air samples from the environment. The sensors then analyze the collected air samples to determine the presence of vaping aerosol or its associated chemicals.
When vaping is detected, the systems trigger an audible alarm, visual indicator or a signal sent to a monitoring system or mobile device. The alert can be sent to the school administration or individual staff members, who can take appropriate action.
Vaping in toilet cubicles
Andrew Jenkins, Managing Director of Schoolwatch – which distributes the Triton range of sensors in the UK – told IFSEC Insider that almost all school vaping takes place in toilets, with as many as a dozen pupils cramming into one cubicle.
“The number of detectors needed by a school can vary wildly depending on the style of toilet blocks they have. Many are investing in unisex cubicles with floor-to-ceiling doors. These offer great privacy but are also perfect for vaping, as they have a dedicated extractor fan.
“We are working with one school with 82 separate cubicles with floor-to-ceiling doors needing 82 detectors. A sister school has eight toilet blocks with conventional open-top cubicles needing just 16. They have a similar number of pupils. One is potentially affordable, whilst the other isn’t.”
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