School district installs vape detectors in bathrooms. They pick up on more than just nicotine, developer says

By Jenna DeAngelis

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    LINDENHURST, New York (WCBS) — One Long Island school district has started installing vape detectors that can pick up on more than just nicotine.

It’s all because of a push from one teenager.

Vape detectors installed at Lindenhurst Middle School

Two vape detectors have been installed in each of the student bathrooms at Lindenhurst Middle School.

“The device not only picks up nicotine in the air, also picks up on THC and also picks up on aggressive behavior, so students looking to bully and fight in the bathrooms,” said Derek Peterson with Soter Technologies, which developed the detectors.

Peterson explains it senses air quality and sound anomalies.

“Our AI algorithm on the device understands what a door slam is, toilet bowl slam is versus when somebody is roughhousing in the bathroom, and we do have no microphones in the device when we do that,” he said.

Once detected, an email is immediately sent to the principal. Then, in partnership with organization Babylon Cares, students caught vaping are connected to professional intervention services.

“There’s still a consequence, but now we’ve added that education piece … They also have to do a component of research based on vapes, how it hurts you,” Lindenhurst Middle School Principal Frank Naccarato said.

Since the detectors were installed in a few weeks ago, the principal says two students have been caught and have been connected to help.

The Town of Babylon paid for the devices with funds received from the “American Rescue Plan.”

There are plans to expand these efforts to Lindenhurst High School and other districts like Copiague and Wyandanch.

Lindenhurst student highlights the dangers of vaping

The idea of installing the vape detectors came from 15-year-old Vanessa Probst.

“I was doing research on it, and I saw the side effects and how you can get popcorn lung, all the severe cancer you can get,” she said.

The high school freshman noticed the problem last year, speaking with classmates at the middle school.

“They would tell these stories of how addicted they were and how they would go into the bathroom with their friends and they would do it,” she said.

Vanessa says she’s thankful classmates who may be addicted will get the help they need.

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