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Metro Detroit schools combat vaping with new detectors
Vaping is a very difficult thing to catch as there is sometimes no smell that can be left behind. So how can teachers and other staff members catch students who are vaping?
DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Metro Detroit school district is taking measures to hopefully stop students from vaping on campus with vape detectors.
It is hard to think that now there are three epidemics affecting teens: smoking, drinking, and now vaping. Meanwhile, Dearborn Public Schools is tackling vaping, which school officials say is not isolated to Dearborn.
"This is not a problem that is unique to our schools or our district - this is a problem that is faced by schools and districts and communities across our entire country right now," said Communications Director David Mustonen.
Vaping is a very difficult thing to catch as there is sometimes no smell that can be left behind. So how can teachers and other staff members catch students who are vaping?
Dearborn Schools had an answer, with Halo Vape Detectors placed in the restrooms, paired with software.
"The Halo Cloud allows the device to talk to our administrators here in the building via a Halo Cloud app - actually alerts our administration, or whoever you decide to have setup on it, that somebody is vaping in the bathroom," said Director of Health Safety and Security Danielle Elzayat.
It all started as a pilot program at Dearborn High School in the spring of 2024. That program was funded through grant money.
"These vape detectors have been so effective naturally, within a few weeks, we've seen a drastic decrease in the amount of notifications that we received," said Assistant Principal Hussein Beydoun.
The detectors were such a success, the program was expanded, now being funded with general fund dollars. Now vape detectors are being installed in restrooms in Fordson High School and Edsel Ford High School.
Dearborn High School now has 14 devices while Fordson is getting 22 and Edsel Ford is getting 16.
Though they do come with a cost, with each one costing about $2,100.
Students who get caught vaping face a three-day suspension.