Vaping allows students to indulge their addiction without the telltale rancid smell of tobacco smoke wafting through the halls. An activity that was once relegated only to school bathrooms, teenagers can now vape anywhere without human detection—including classrooms.
Vape pens have unique chemical and aromatic signatures that state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) sensors can detect. HALO is a real-time vape detector system that can sense minute air quality changes and instantly alert school staff.
Read on to learn why over 1,500 school districts have installed HALO vape detectors on their campus.
Why is School Vape Detection So Important?
E-cigarettes, or vape pens as they’re more commonly known, have grown in popularity amongst students. They can buy them easily over the internet, and vape nicotine cartridges come in various addictive flavors, such as chocolate, fruit, and bubblegum.
Vaping on a school campus presents several serious problems, including:
Multiple health risks—The long-term effects of vaping are still relatively unknown. However, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study has shown that vaping presents similar adverse health risks as nicotine.
The secondhand aerosol emitted by vape pens contains a wide range of harmful and ultrafine particles, such as:
- Toxins
- Extremely high levels of nicotine
- Carcinogenic chemicals
- THC
Disruptive behavior—Vaping in the classroom is a disruptive behavior and can negatively impact other students’ learning experiences.
Addiction—Unlike a traditional cigarette, vape cartridges can contain wildly varying amounts of nicotine masked by a pleasant flavor. Since there are very few regulations regarding nicotine levels, students can become quickly and heavily addicted.
Gateway drug—Many vape pens can also accept marijuana (THC) cartridges. When coupled with a strawberry or other seemingly innocent smell, no one is the wiser when a student decides it’s time to “toke up” in class.
7 Reasons Why Install Schools Should Install HALO Vape Detectors
There are seven excellent reasons to install HALO vape sensors throughout your school campus:
1. It’s Always On
HALO devices are powered by Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) technology. Instead of using batteries, which are expensive and need regular replacement, PoE safely pulls power from the ethernet cables connected to the HALO device.
2. Open Platform
You can directly integrate your existing security devices, such as video surveillance cameras, into the HALO platform.
For example, pretend that a HALO sensor in the boy’s restroom triggered a vape detection warning. The nearest surveillance camera outside the bathroom will get automatically triggered and start recording. School staff can then go back and determine precisely who triggered the vape alert.
3. School-Approved
Thousands of schools worldwide have installed the HALO smart sensor vape detector system to help battle the vaping epidemic. Many teachers have also used HALO to educate their students about the dangers of vaping.
4. Real-Time Health and Air Quality Alerts
In addition to vape detection, HALO sensors can also detect a wide range of other air pollutants. When the sensors identify contaminants, the system will notify school staff with emails or text messages. HALO can also connect to the HVAC systems through BACnet to address pollutants without human intervention.
5. Continuous Development
The company that developed HALO understands that they are in a battle vs. the resourcefulness of youth. This is why the HALO engineering team is constantly testing the latest vape products and masking attempts to develop readings and alerts.
For example, HALO engineers identified the specific chemical signatures for masking. Students would try to concurrently spray aerosol products, such as hair spray or air fresheners, to mask the smell of the vape chemicals.
HALO sensors can pull out each chemical signature and identify the coverup attempt. They also come with a tamper alarm that sends school staff a real-time alert if students try to meddle with the HALO device.
6. Short and Long-Term Benefits
HALO was initially built as a health and safety device, and vape detection was an added benefit thanks to the high-tech sensors. Many schools have found that their vaping problem disappeared after installing the HALO sensors.
However, vape detection is only a tiny part of the benefits schools will get from installing HALO.
Other features include:
- Air quality monitoring
- Fighting detection (audio)
- Gunshot detection (audio)
- Bullying detection (audio)
- Spoken keyword panic button
- C02 and HVAC filter monitoring
- Trespassing alerts
- Emergency and escape lighting
- Nicotine and marijuana (THC) detection
7. Eligible for a Variety of Funding Options
Thanks to its multi-purpose uses, HALO qualifies for a wide range of funding sources that fall under category grants for school health, safety, and air quality. Schools have many funding options, including:
- Class action lawsuits
- The CARES Act
- Fundraisers
- New construction bonds
- Federal and Stage security bonds
Protect Your School with HALO Smart Sensors
Vaping on campus creates an unsafe environment for students, faculty, and staff. School administrators can combat and end their vaping problem through HALO’s advanced technology.
At Conexus, we will advise and install a customized HALO smart sensor vape detector system
throughout your school. You’ll get cutting-edge health and safety monitoring to protect everyone on campus. Click below to learn more.