The superintendent of Lewiston public schools is considering installing vape detectors in the bathrooms at the middle and high schools.
Jake Langlais said students are reporting long wait times for bathrooms and it’s because others are vaping in stalls. Langlais said the detectors could address that issue and also help curb the use of e-cigarettes by kids.
“Some of the technology we’re exploring is, for a camera that might exist in a hallway outside of a bathroom. If the vape detector is triggered, it would also then make sure it would capture who is exiting the bathroom around that time,” he said. “So, those are the technologies we’re looking at.”
Langlais said cost is a hurdle, with estimates ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 to install vape detectors. He said Lewiston will seek funding through grants.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
