Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

The Brighton Board of Education has made a major investment in eradicating the incidence of vaping on school campuses in the Brighton Area School District.

Meeting in regular session last week, the board unanimously approved the purchase of 44 vape detectors to be installed in bathrooms at Brighton High School, Scranton Middle School, Maltby Intermediate School and The Bridge Alternative High School.

The board also approved 7-0 a resolution that “condemns any attempt by a business to sell or market e-cigarettes or tobacco products to youths” in Livingston County. The resolution also “requests that all representative boards, law enforcement and community partners unite in an effort to reduce access to e-cigarettes and tobacco products to the youth of this community.”

Vaping involves use of what are formally called e-cigarettes, which come in many flavors. Vaping can deliver a smokeless tobacco, cannabis, flavorings and other substances-and may also be called vape pens or hookah pens. The product is specifically marketed to young people, and statistics say the greatest incidence of its use is by high school and middle school youths.

Michigan’s Tobacco 21 law went into effect in 2020 and raised the legal age for purchasing tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21 years. The act aligns Michigan with the federal Tobacco 21 law passed in Dec. 2019. Health experts warn that vaping is extremely harmful because it produces many dangerous chemicals which can cause lung and cardiovascular disease.

The vape detectors are in addition to the Triton vape detectors that were purchased in April as a pilot program, four of which will remain in use along with the new ones during the 23-24 school year. They will be purchased from general funds at a cost of roughly $62,000, with the money to come from the district’s general fund. The district bid on purchase of the vape detectors, with Triton outbidding rival Halo by a considerable amount, according to Superintendent Matthew Outlaw.

Outlaw tells WHMI that since the pilot detectors were installed this past spring, there have been very few incidents of vaping by students. In his words, “It has served as a deterrent for the small population of students involved with vaping. There were 13 suspensions last year connected to vape use or possession throughout the district."

The superintendent says that while the new detectors should serve as an additional disincentive for students to vape, the most important factor is educating students on the negative health effects. In Outlaw's words, "For those students considering vaping, it is essential that they are aware of the extensive negative health consequences of doing so. Vape detectors will primarily serve as a deterrent, but efforts to educate our youth on the dangers of vaping and tobacco use by the schools and parents is where the big difference will be made."