The increase in the use of e-cigarettes and vaping among schoolchildren has become a serious issue for teachers and school administrators. Authorities are keen to look at ways to address the problem, which studies have shown can lead to behavioral issues and negatively impact academic performance. Connected technologies provide part of the solution.
The use of e-cigarettes – more commonly known as “vaping” – has become popular among both adults and an increasing number of children. In the US, government research highlights e-cigarettes as the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.
In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for urgent action to “protect children and prevent the uptake of e-cigarettes”. Within the educational environment - particularly schools where vaping has reached worrying levels - the impact can be significant. In the same call for action, WHO itself stated that e-cigarettes can “affect brain development and lead to learning disorders for young people”.
The issue and impact of vaping in schools
2024 figures from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration show that nearly 6% (more than 1.6m) of middle school and high school students in the U.S. are current users of e-cigarettes. In the U.K., 25% of 11 to 15-year-old children have tried vaping, and almost 1 in 10 say that they are regular users of e-cigarettes.
Highlighting the seriousness of the issues for school administrators, a 2023 paper published by the US National Library of Medicine cites research which shows “that nicotine exposure during adolescence can have long-term effects on brain function, including impairments in attention, learning, and memory.”
Adding to the challenge for teachers, vaping is a less obvious activity than smoking and is therefore something that students can often try to do secretively in classrooms. Alternatively, as highlighted in this story, students may excuse themselves from class to visit the restroom to vape, which disrupts the learning environment and is difficult for teachers to control.
Tackling the vaping issue
School teachers and administrators are clearly keen to deal with the problem of vaping in schools. In addition to working in partnership with parents and guardians to educate students on the potential dangers and impact of vaping, proactively policing the use of e-cigarettes in schools and enforcing rules which forbid both vaping and smoking is essential.
Schools have started to turn towards connected technologies to address the issue. Environmental sensors such as air quality sensors can be employed as part of existing health and safety solutions to alert administrators to vaping and smoking within schools and prompt an appropriate response. While such sensors can detect several types of air pollutants, they are also highly effective in detecting vaping and smoking indoors.
The sensors can be connected to other IP devices – for example security cameras and a strobe siren – though with sufficient distance between devices for the air quality sensor to be positioned in areas where cameras would not be used, such as a restroom or locker room, and therefore protecting students’ privacy. Should vaping or smoking be detected, school administrators and security personnel can be alerted, and when used alongside speakers, live or prerecorded messages played to those in the specific area, stopping it as soon as possible.
Over the longer-term, data collected from sensors and connected cameras can highlight difficult-to-monitor areas within schools where students gather to vape, allowing administrators to consider changes to the buildings and staffing to reduce the opportunities.
Enhancing the learning environment
The primary function of a school is a place to learn safely with teachers and administrators motivated to ensure that educational establishments are the best environments for that. The growth in vaping within schools risks becoming a disruption to effective learning, along with presenting potential longer-term health risks to children. Environmental sensors can be part of an integrated solution.
