The Idaho Department of Education announced it will help states and charters install vape detectors in high school bathrooms and locker rooms through the Vape Detector Pilot grant.
Funding for the pilot program comes from the Idaho Millenium Fund and is intended to both prevent vaping before it starts and to provide staff with an added resource to successfully intervene and assist students vaping in areas equipped with detectors. The state has not disclosed the cost of the program or the amount of individual grant awards.
“Putting the right tools to address vaping into the hands of our school districts is an important first step in tackling this problem and ensuring the health of our students and educational communities,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield. “I hope that schools find this equipment to be an effective new resource in safeguarding the health and well-being of their students.”
The Department of Education said it received 59 eligible applications and has funded 31 for this stage of the pilot program. As part of the application process, schools were asked to provide evidence of a need for vape detectors, including details about their current prevention and intervention efforts, incident reports of vaping in the 2022 – 2023 and 2023 – 2024 school years, and a proposed budget for purchasing, installing and any additional costs.
