We Need Vaping Detectors!!

Vape products are dangerous and should not be used in schools. Maybe smoke detectors can be put in bathrooms, but the vapor from vaping devices is not picked up by smoke detectors due to the fact that they produce vapor and not smoke. Vape detectors should be installed in High School West bathrooms in order to prevent the students from vaping in the bathrooms.

Vape products have become very popular among teenagers, especially in my school. According to the article, Vaping Rises Among Teens, it says “More than 44,000 students took part in the 2018 annual survey of drug, alcohol, and cigarette use in 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. About 37% of 12th graders reported vaping in 2018, compared with 28% in 2017. Vaping of each substance that was asked about increased. This includes nicotine, flavored liquids, marijuana, and hash oil.” The fruity flavors in vape products are a big reason why many teenagers have become hooked. According to the article, Fruity flavors lure teens into vaping longer and taking more puffs from Los Angeles Times, “once they’ve started, if they use a sweetly flavored product, they’re more likely to stick with it.”

Teenagers after becoming hooked bring their products to school and use them in bathrooms where they cannot get caught. Leah Asmelash, reporting for CNN Health, writes “As the numbers of middle and high school students who vape continue to rise — the US Food and Drug Administration says more than 20% of high schoolers use e-cigarettes — school districts around the country are starting to fight back.” Administrators know this is going on but they are having trouble stopping it.

Some schools have been using vape detectors which are similar to carbon monoxide detectors and they can detect vaping. Schools in New Jersey, Ohio, and Illinois have started to use these vape detectors due to a large number of students using them. According to the article, High schools embrace ‘vape detectors’ in the fight against bathroom vaping  from  CNN  Health, “Once detected, a notification is sent to administrators, who can then step in and stop the culprit.” The company that makes these detectors is called FlySense and these products will really help prevent students from vaping in schools and I think that we should definitely give them a try.