Vape detectors and health courses rolled out in Western Sydney school

It’s the appealing new vice gripping the next generation of teens and one Western Sydney school has found the solution to stop kids from vaping. Find out how they are doing it.

Hi-tech vape detectors are being rolled out in school bathrooms and students are learning about the dangers of the e-cigarettes in class after one Western Sydney principal took it upon himself to tackle the scourge.

State-of-the-art “halo detectors” – which can catch vapour, marijuana and cigarette smoke – are being installed at Plumpton High School with principal Tim Lloyd saying it’s part of a “holistic” approach to curb vaping.

A new education course developed by Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) expert Smita Shah has also been added to the school’s PDHPE syllabus.

Plumpton High is the latest school to join WSLHD’s study into vaping to help create targeted solutions to stop the rise of the colourful, seemingly innocuous e-cigarettes.

Hi-tech vape detectors are being rolled out in school bathrooms.

The initiatives are not required by the Department of Eduaction but Mr Lloyd said the school wanted to educate students about the dangerous trend.

The detectors being installed in the bathrooms operate like smoke alarms.

“They are a part of a whole comprehensive structure we have in terms of health and wellbeing … We don’t have a huge issue and we put that down to being vigilant around making sure all kids are safe,” he said. “It’s part of a holistic approach to education and future-proofing our kids for their health and wellbeing.”

During PDHPE classes, students are given materials on the harms of vapes and provided with “decision-making rationale” to help them wade through misinformation being circulated on social media.

This includes the claim that all vapes do not have nicotine.

Principal Tim Lloyd. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“It’s about a comprehensive strategy to help kids make the right choices,” Mr Lloyd said.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the growing number of young people vaping was “concerning” and urged other schools to be flexible with the syllabus and use PDHPE classes to educate students.

“We’ve also worked hand-in-hand with NSW Health to deliver targeted, age-appropriate drug education to students to address this growing issue,” she said. “This needs to be a partnership with parents and schools. Schools can do all they can but only during school hours. We need to tackle how students are accessing vapes outside of schools.”

Originally published as Vape detectors and health courses rolled out in Western Sydney school