BAS installs vape detectors at high school, Scranton Middle School
BRIGHTON — Brighton Area Schools is the latest school district in Livingston County to add vaping detection devices in its school buildings.
Electronic cigarettes, commonly known as a vape, hold many names: including e-cigs, vape pens and hookah pens.
The district has purchased 12 vape detection devices to be dispersed between Brighton High School and Scranton Middle School.
Two different vape detector companies are being piloted in Brighton, including Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Triton Sensors and Bayshore, New York-based HALO Smart Sensor.
Other schools in the county have already put vape detectors in place. Hartland Consolidated Schools Superintendent Chuck Hughes said that five HALO Smart Sensor detectors were installed in the fall in select restrooms for $3,050 per unit.
"Our take is that, unfortunately, vapes are pretty prevalent in the community and we're seeing that students don't necessarily understand that vapes are bad, that vapes are the same as other drug use," Hughes said. "If anything else, it's probably more on the rise than it is on the decline, and that's bothering us."
He added it hasn't been determined how effective the detectors are.
“The verdict isn't in yet on whether or not they're effective or not, and then we'll make some assessments with our high school at the end of the school year,” Hughes said.
Hughes and BAS Superintendent Matthew Outlaw said the detectors have a singular goal.
"The goal is to deter any future usage of vapes by students in our schools," Outlaw said.
Triton Sensors are about $750 a piece, while the HALO Smart Sensor is more than $3,000 per unit. But there are additional costs to Triton Sensors, including a subscription fee for software updates.
"The problem with vaping is we don't know the long term effects," Hughes said. "We see the research here and there, but they (students) don't see that it's detrimental in our eyes, from our perspective as adults in the building. We are concerned about the abuse we see."
What are the consequences?
At HCS, vaping devices are investigated for either tobacco or marijuana. Students can receive 3-10 days' suspension, as well as an expulsion hearing, a referral, and contact with the Livingston County Sheriff's Department, with the possibility of educational training.
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"The intent of the expulsion hearing is always to bring a student forward with parents and intervene in the hopes that we can help the student make better decisions and choices," Hughes said.
At BAS, a student found with tobacco, including smokeless, e-cigarettes, vaporizers and any paraphernalia, will have a parent notified. The student could face a 5-day suspension and a police referral. If the vape contains marijuana oil, the consequences increase to up to 10 days' suspension and a possible recommendation for expulsion.
— Contact reporter Patricia Alvord at palvord@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: BAS installs vape detectors at high school, Scranton Middle School
