TAVARES - The Lake County School Board on Monday, Dec. 9, unanimously approved the purchase of vape detection devices for a pilot program that will start at East Ridge High School this spring.
The devices enable real-time reporting of vaping activities, sending a silent alert to administrators, who can address the issue without having to physically monitor locations throughout the school day. The goal is to deter vaping on campus to help keep students safe.
“Students don’t always know what chemicals they are taking into their bodies,” said Joseph Mabry, Lake County Schools Director of Safety and Security. “It’s a health and safety issue.”
The devices will be purchased for $97,291 through a Stronger Connections Grant. East Ridge High School was selected for the pilot program because it is the district’s largest school. If the data shows the devices are effective in reducing vaping at East Ridge High, district leaders will explore expanding the program to all high schools and to middle schools.
School districts across the country have reported an increase in vaping in recent years. In Lake County, the introduction of Samba, a vape detection dog who works with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in middle and high schools, has helped bring those numbers down. There were 585 tobacco cases in Lake schools in 2022-23. After Samba started working on campuses in March 2024, the number of tobacco cases dropped to 435, about a 26 percent reduction, for the 2023-24 school year.
“The vape detection devices are another proactive step we are taking in Lake to deter student vaping and to keep our students safe,” Mabry said.