We all know that teen e-cigarette use is at an all-time high, but is there a technology that can help K–12 leaders better detect and address the harmful habits of vaping?
After all, when students smoke a traditional cigarette on school grounds it’s hard to hide what they’re doing. Not to mention, traditional cigarettes leave a plume of smoke, and the strong odor is an instant giveaway.
But most teens prefer vaping and e-cigarettes which are tough to detect because the vapor emitted is virtually undetectable and lasts mere seconds.
It takes more than a watchful eye and a keen sense of smell to detect students vaping.
This is where technology can help you detect and address this odorless culprit.
How can technology help my school district detect and address vaping?
HALO sensors from IPVideo Corporation, a partner of Parallel Technology, are Wi-Fi enabled sensors that detect anomalies in air quality caused by vaping.
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When installed in areas where cameras and microphones can’t go, such as inside school restrooms or locker rooms, your sensors work like smoke detectors.
They don’t record images or sounds, and the devices will send school leaders real-time alerts and notifications of the locations where harmful activity is taking place.
Here’s how they work.
- A student vapes with their e-cigarette or vaping device.
- When vaping fumes are exhaled into the air the HALO device senses the abnormalities in the air quality. (the HALO sensor looks like skinny, little smoke detectors that are mounted to the ceiling)
- Within minutes a school official or administrator is sent an alert or notification through the schools building management software.
- Now, the school administrator can know exactly what place in the building to go to and find who’s vaping.
What else can HALO sensors detect and how can they protect students?
There are four main detection points, and substances, they detect.
Your sensors will detect:
- The primary substances and ingredients found in vaping devices such as particulate matter, humidity that produces mold and other fungi, VOC’s, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene.
- They detect carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
- They detect THC compounds.
- They detect sound abnormalities from fights and bullying.
In a CNN article from September of 2019, they noted that school districts in New Jersey, Ohio, and Illinois are now leveraging technology and IoT devices to help detect and address vaping in their schools.
ISD 196 addresses vaping struggles using technology
And in our own backyard, Rosemount/Apple Valley/Eagan ISD 196 announced it is partnering with Parallel Technologies to test the use of the vaping detection technology at the Rosemount High School.
At Parallel Technologies, we want to help you use innovative technology solutions to help you address vaping in your schools.
To learn how technology can help your school district address vaping, fill out the form to the right of this page to schedule time with one of our team members.
Join your fellow school administrators, educators, and peers for a webinar about best practices to addressing these vaping struggles, once and for all: Click Here to Register!