ESCAPING VAPING: School officials say vape detectors keep students from picking

With vaping still an issue for most U.S. schools, several Cherokee County districts are combatting the problem with electronic detectors.

The detectors, which vary in brand and type across Cherokee County, alert those on campus to the use of vaping devices. At Hulbert Public Schools, the detector will send a designated person, school resource officer, or principal a message about the potential vaping.

Hulbert Superintendent Jolyn Choate said her district has installed eight, covering students in the high school, middle school, upper elementary, and auditorium. Hulbert, like many other districts, has a 24/7 no-tobacco policy, which includes vaping.

Choate said the detectors were installed throughout the campus during the 2021-’22 school year. 

“I believe that if their presence discourages just one student, we are accomplishing the goal of encouraging healthy lifestyles,” Choate said.

When it comes to vape or tobacco products, or any other substance, Keys High School Principal Steve Goss said the district does not want them around. At Keys, if a student is caught by the detector with a nicotine vape, a first violation is recorded, then the youth will get four days of In-School Suspension.

“Unfortunately, vaping is a problem for many high school students,” Goss said. “We want to do as much as we can to keep vapes out of our school.”

Goss said his site has a sensor in each restroom, totaling four, which were installed fall 2022. The vape detectors are located in restrooms, as these are the only areas on campus not monitored by staff members. Historically, Goss said, restrooms are where students often go to take part in illicit activities.

Goss said that through the positive experience his site has experienced with the devices, he believes they have been effective. While the detectors can prevent students from vaping rather than just catching them in the act, Goss said they do both, but they seem more helpful with the prevention aspect.

“The best way to keep vaping out of schools is to have the support of parents and guardians,” Goss said. “We need parents and guardians to not only speak to students about not using, but also not allowing underage students access to these products as well.”

Tahlequah Public Schools Assistant Superintendent DeAnn Mashburn said the district has vape detectors at Tahlequah Middle School, Tahlequah High School, and Central Academy. Mashburn said TPS’ detectors are also installed in the restrooms to cover area without adult supervision. When a detector is set off, Mashburn said, it could be a false alarm, but if a student is caught, the incident is investigated and the appropriate actions and reprimands are taken.

Mashburn said that about five years ago, TPS purchased the detectors through a safety grant to tackle the increasing problem among teenagers. Officer Marcus Sams, director of operations for Tahlequah Behavior Modification Placement, said administrators decided the middle school and high school are the populations that most likely deal with vaping.

“In elementary schools, if it ever occurs, it is very few and far between, and most of the time, they’re not vaping,” Sams said. “They just found it in their house and put it in their bag, because it looks ‘cool,’ so [with] the populations, we were trying to assess where we did have, and if we [had] an issue.”

THS Vice Principal Mark Jordan said the school has a program that educates reprimanded students about the effects of vaping. Jordan said school preventionists are another resource students struggling with vaping can use, along with “Connecting Youth” – a class for students that offers more educational information. Jordan said he believes the educational tools offered by TPS have helped create a decrease in vape usage at the site.