Teen and preteen vaping are on the decline, but legislators, health advocates, and school administrators still have an uphill battle ahead to protect young lungs, especially on campus.
Now, they’ll implement one measure using money that vaping giant Juul paid in settlements when the company was accused of misleading consumers about the safety of its products and targeting teens in its marketing.
Even some students are saying they’re happy about the measure, but critics worry about its effects on privacy.
Juul Has Settled Lawsuits With Thousands Of Litigants
Individuals, states, and school districts have sued Juul for marketing to minors and misleading them about the dangers of its products. The total is now in the billions of dollars, including one case in 2022 with 10,000 individual lawsuits settled for $1.7 billion (or about $170k each).
In another settlement last year, 1,600 school districts agreed to a $1.2 billion payment from Juul (or about $750k each on average). Consumer Notice detailed some of these:
“In April 2023, Wake County Schools in North Carolina was awarded $6.2 million…In March 2023, Orange County Public Schools in Florida was awarded $5.4 million as part of a lawsuit against Juul involving 1,300 school districts.”
Ironically, for the corporation, Juul is no longer among the top choices for those teens who are still vaping. The latest stats show that most kids who still vape use disposable vapes, with only about 15% using pod-based systems like Juul — perhaps in part because a majority of underage vapers still seek out fruit flavors, and Juul halted the sale of those under pressure in 2018.
Vape Detectors For School Restrooms
The devices that schools can install vary. Avigilon, one of the companies that manufactures them, notes that there are a few ways the detectors can monitor vaping. Some use gas sensors, which seek out the gases used in vapes. Others use particulate sensors, which detect aerosols like vegetable glycerin and nicotine particles. Then, there are the devices that combine both.
They also have other capabilities, including monitoring air temperature and humidity. They can also detect pre-programmed keywords and loud sounds like gunshots or shouting, which is marketed to protect kids from other types of emergencies. In Ontario, notably, Education Minister Stephen Lecce has called for “guardrails” to prevent sound detection capabilities from being abused in a room that is typically considered a place for privacy, according to Global News.
Billion-Dollar Settlements Could Buy A Ton Of Vape Detectors
The states and school districts that have received funds in Juul lawsuit settlements intend to use them in various ways. In particular, the funds are often used to meet the needs of the schools, ensuring that the vape company’s payout goes to assist the very age group it is accused of targeting.
Last year, some school districts announced that they’d turn the funds into an effort to stop kids from vaping on campus. EdWeek reported at the time:
“Many—including districts in Orlando, Fla.; Coldwater, Mich.; Spokane, Wash.; and Karns City and Seneca Valley, Pa.—have said in recent weeks they plan to purchase and install vape detectors.”
Now, additional districts are taking the same step. Nebraska’s Lincoln Public Schools District installed their first vape detectors in a single school as part of a pilot program almost a year ago, and over the first couple of months, went from 100 alerts per week to only 4 per week. NPR reports that they’re expanding the program to all high schools in the district, then the middle schools. The devices — which can cost around $1,000 apiece — are being paid for out of the settlement of around $1 million the district received from Juul.
Some Students Are Happy About The Decision
While some critics worry about privacy, and more students may express those concerns as the detectors become more prevalent (perhaps especially those who would like to vape), many say they’re happy with this situation.
Students who do not vape — and that’s the majority of them — complain that vapers affect their access to the restrooms. The rooms may be more crowded when they’re being used for other than the intended purposes, and the smell can be obnoxious to those who do not partake.
American Lung Association Encourages Schools To Use Opportunities For Education Rather Than Punishment
The American Lung Association’s Vape-Free Schools Initiative has responded to the purchase of vape detectors, saying that they hope schools will take the opportunity to focus on helping kids quit and educating them about the dangers of nicotine rather than strictly punitive measures.
Another potential problem is false positives, which Avigilon acknowledges can be caused by steam or aerosols. NPR reported that school officials have admitted to experiencing these, and described at least one incident in which a student was pulled out and searched, though she’d only used a spray deodorant.
To some extent, this sort of incident could be avoided by following the Vape-Free Schools recommendation not to resort to punitive measures.