This year, Brownell Talbot has installed a new addition to the bathrooms: vape detectors. This new technology has the ability to make our school a much safer place, but people still have concerns and questions. In this article we answer some of those questions and interview Mr. Rohrig and Mr. Rotert about how they work, their accuracy, and what their effects will be at school.

Bathroom vape detectors in our school bathrooms will have tremendous benefits for the school community. By cracking down on vaping, students have a much safer learning environment free from dangerous distractions and possible peer pressure. “They make me feel safer in my school,” said one student anonymously. “I am relieved,” stated another. Vaping is an epidemic across the country and it affects high school students in high numbers. According to the FDA, 14.1% of high school students reported e-cigarette use. Addiction to e-cigarettes holds students back and can make them feel depressed and lack ambition for school and activities. Having a way to stop them from being used in the school will create a more positive, productive, and happy feeling all throughout the Brownell Talbot.

Vape detectors work by detecting the presence of chemicals like nicotine, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerine. There are two types of vape detectors: particulate detectors and sensor detectors. Particulate detectors work by detecting small particles released when vaping while sensor detectors work by detecting specific chemicals released when vaping. In order for Brownell Talbot to have reliable and privacy proof detectors, they partnered with a brand named Verkada. Verkada is a manufacturing company that designs various kinds of security innovations. The sensors test for multiple indicators such as temperature, motion, and humidity. They can even examine the levels of ppm in carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. All of this information can be accessed on a Verkada’s web based command center. This technology is state of the art and false positives rarely occur, meaning we have the best to ensure our school can keep doing their best. 

Despite the positive impact of the vape detectors on the school, students still have some concerns. If multiple students are in the bathroom while one person activates the alarm, all the students will be subject to questioning and high amounts of stress because of the actions of one person. Another concern is that they won’t stop vaping at all. Students might still find ways around the detectors and evade being caught. To address these concerns, we interviewed Mr. Rotert and Mr. Rohrig to answer some questions. During the interview, we learned that the detectors are extremely sensitive and accurate during on-site testing. During the trial runs, the school was not able to get it to have a false alert. This means that the likelihood of someone getting falsely alerted is very, very low. When asked about the process of putting vape detectors in the school, Mr. Rohrig replied, “We are being proactive in regard to messaging to the students of upholding the policy of no drugs on campus.” After acknowledging the struggles students may face with nicotine addictions, Mr. Rotert said, “We want to help the students. We have many resources like our partnership with Arbor Family Counseling. We can also work with families in a group effort to stop vaping.” 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, vaping can lead to addiction, breathing problems, organ issues, and other ailments. It is especially dangerous to adolescents and can affect them for the rest of their lives. Vapes are a relatively new technology and the long-term effects are unknown. Vapes are not as regulated as other products and because of that, dangerous heavy metals and chemicals can be breathed into one’s lungs when used. It is important for students to know the dangers so they are deterred from using vapes and subjecting themselves to unhealthy addictions and illnesses. Our school has become a place that helps students stop vaping and that helps keep our school a safe place.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story misspelled Mr. Rotert’s name, which has now been corrected.