Hillsborough school district expanding vaping detector program to all high schools
VALRICO, Fla. - The Hillsborough County School District is stepping up its crackdown on vaping by installing detectors in every high school across the county.
What we know:
The district says the devices, known as HALO Smart Sensors, can detect all types of vape, including tobacco and marijuana, as well as vape masking products. Faculty are alerted to the location when the sensors are triggered.
Bloomingdale High School was part of a pilot program that placed the detectors in restrooms, where administrators say most vaping incidents occur.
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"The restrooms are typically where that behavior will take place," said Marcos Rodriguez, the principal of Bloomingdale High School, adding that as school leaders gathered data, they were able to adjust staff coverage. "As we started to gather trends and see where some of the vaping was going on at certain parts of the school day, it allowed us to really station some of our employees and adults around those areas."
The district says the devices monitor and alert but do not record. The sensors can also detect elevated decibel levels. District officials say if noise levels spike because of fighting or bullying, staff will be notified.
The backstory:
Health experts have described teen vaping as reaching epidemic levels in recent years.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, more than 1.6 million middle and high school students in the United States reported using e-cigarettes.
That number is down from the previous year, but e-cigarettes remain the most used tobacco product among teenagers.
What they're saying:
Harrison Hudson, a senior at Bloomingdale High School, says he noticed the issue firsthand earlier in his high school career.
"Freshman and sophomore year, the bathrooms were always crowded. There was always a ton of people," Hudson said.
Now, he says he is seeing fewer classmates vaping and credits the detectors for the change.
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"I think that is, in large part, due to the detectors that have been placed in our bathrooms," he said. "Hopefully stopping people from vaping at a younger age and kind of breaking the habit now."
Kristine Marsh, the president of SecureUs Solutions, the Manatee County company installing the devices, says the technology is about creating a safe and healthy environment.
"It detects so much more than just a vape. It ensures students’ safety while they're in bathrooms or other private areas such as locker rooms," Marsh said.
What's next:
The district says every high school in Hillsborough County will receive the vaping detectors by May.
The Source: Information for this story came from interviews with Bloomingdale High School’s principal and students, SecureUs Solutions, and data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.