Why your school needs a vaping sensor solution from Verkada

Vaping may seem like a harmless and less-damaging habit than smoking, but the research just isn’t in. And, according to Verkada, vaping and e-cigarette use has grown by 1,000 percent amongst high school students. More shockingly, this is even as usage among [US] youth has declined. Regardless of your personal feelings about e-cigs, vaping is still a violation of most clean air laws worldwide. And it can pose a significant financial risk to your institution. So, if you’re not sure why your school needs a vaping sensor solution from Verkada, we’ll spell it out.

The fines for allowing vaping

There are many risks for allowing vaping on campus. But for most organisations, the main concern is the fines. According to the New York Department of Health the enforcement officer for a city or county health department or State Health Department can assess a fine of up to $2,000 for each violation. And Hunton Andrews Kurth explains, “The Clean Air Act explicitly establishes the EPA’s penalty authority. It provides authority for both judicial and administrative enforcement. For example, Section 113 of the act allows the EPA to seek, and a court to assess, a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per day in 1980 dollars.” But it’s not just the USA. Similar laws exist in the UK, Europe and other western counties. So, allowing vaping indoors through non-enforcement poses a risk of financial penalties.

The health impact of vaping

Secondly are the many health risks. According to the British Heart Foundation, “More people may be using them, but e-cigarettes are not harm-free. A 2016 study published in Environmental Science & Technology identified harmful emissions in the vapour, including possible carcinogens and irritants, though at a much lower level than in conventional cigarettes.” And that’s not considering the rise of marijuana vape devices either. The risks of combining these two technologies is not really understood yet. Lastly, since these devices are small and discreet, physical monitoring is significantly harder than with traditional cigarettes or joints. You really need a device that can detectthese harmful particles in the air.

How you can combat on-campus vaping

In 2016 the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that e-cigarettes be banned in indoor areas and wherever smoking is prohibited. The challenge is that ordinary smoke detectors won’t detect vaping. So, you need a purpose-made sensor. One that can look at particulates, movement and organic compounds in the air to determine if someone is vaping or smoking indoors. The Verkada SV11 is the ideal solution for all-in-one monitoring. It combines a range of sensors to notify you of changes to noise, air quality, temperature, humidity or motion within the space. And their web-based management platform lets you customise your monitoring and receive alerts when your thresholds are reached.

We believe your school needs a vaping sensor solution from Verkada because the risks of doing nothing are far too high. If you’d like to discuss further how the SV11 can prevent fines and improve the health of your students & staff members, please get in touch .