Vaping has risen in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people. Studies from 2023 show that 29% of 18-24 year olds in England now vape, which is a 9% increase from two years prior. This has resulted in schools cracking down on their vaping and smoking policies in an attempt to deter teens from vaping while in school.
Recent studies carried out by the University of Bath have worryingly shown that one in six of the 600 vapes confiscated from 38 schools across England contained Spice, a powerful synthetic cannabinoid.
How Has This Happened?
Spice is an unpredictable lab-made drug intended to mimic the effects of cannabis and is known to have serious side effects ranging from dizziness, breathing problems and heart palpitations to psychosis and seizures.
Teenagers have been accidentally getting their hands on the drug by purchasing vapes that they believe contain THC – the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. However, as Spice is cheaper than cannabis to produce, vape liquid manufacturers have been swapping THC for the synthetic cannabinoid and selling the vape liquids off as ‘genuine THC’.
A 16 year old from the UK has even claimed in a recent testimonial that he was using his Spice laced vape ‘every second of the day’, including in classrooms at school. His dependency on the substance began after trying what he believed to be a THC vape while at a friend’s house.
Professor Pudney, from the University of Bath, who conducted the initial investigation has found that the number of children collapsing in schools after using Spice vapes is so high that it is hard to find a school where a child hasn’t collapsed from suspected Spice use. In order to combat this, more and more schools are taking steps to crack down on vaping and catch students who are using their vapes on school premises.
Vape Detectors
Vape detectors have become a highly useful and popular deterrent used in schools as they are able to detect the presence of vaping in real-time and silently alert a member of staff. Detectors should be placed in areas where students are most likely to vape, such as toilets, common rooms, changing rooms and corridors.
Despite having a silent alert signal, vape detectors should remain clearly visible because much like other security systems, the mere presence of vape detector in school or a workplace is often enough to deter people from vaping where they shouldn’t.
Are you looking to install a vape detection system in your school or workplace? Here at IDS, we provide highly efficient and bespoke vape detector installation services at excellent prices. We will even come out to survey your premises and tailor our services specifically to your needs so that you can get the most out of your vape detectors.
If you have any questions about our vape detection services, check out our Vape Detector FAQs blog to learn more, or contact our team today by clicking the link below.
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