‘We can match the time with the student’

Vaping has taken a nosedive in one Florida school district after sensors were installed in middle and high school bathrooms. 

According to Fox 4 News, the Charlotte County school district reported that vaping incidents during the 2024-2025 school year were down by more than 26% from the year before. 

School leaders attributed the decline to vape sensors installed after reports of students feeling unsafe. 

“As soon as the vape sensor goes off, school administration receives an alert,” Jack Ham, the district’s director of school support, said. 

“The camera activates outside the bathroom, and we can match the time with the student who leaves, then do a search with the School Resource Officer.”

Students caught vaping are disciplined with a 14-day suspension. They are also required to take online courses and sign a pledge, per Fox 4 News. Across the nation, other schools are taking similar measures to prevent students from vaping on campus.

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While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of several flavored vaping products in 2020, disposable e-cigarettes were not included, according to Time Magazine. The use of vapes has led to both environmental and public health challenges. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vapes contain highly addictive nicotine that can harm young people as their brains continue to develop. The chemicals in vapes have also been associated with cancer as well as lung disease. 

In the United States, five disposable vapes are thrown away every second by young people, per The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. However, a Truth Initiative survey found that only 8% of them sent their disposable devices to electronic recycling facilities. The majority of young people toss the devices in the trash. 

Vaping devices contain lithium-ion batteries, which need to be disposed of properly. Experts have warned that improper disposal of vapes can lead to fires and emit toxic fumes into the atmosphere.  

Many commenters on the Fox 4 News Facebook page supported the installation of vape sensors in school bathrooms. Some even encouraged the idea of installing sensors outside of schools, too.

“Now they need vape sensors on buses,” one commenter wrote.

“They need those in all public buildings!” another said.

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