Early results show success: vaping detectors installed in Oldham schools have already helped teacher

Due to the increase in children using e-cigarettes, a school in Oldham was forced to install e-cigarette detectors in one of its bathrooms.

This action was taken after an information freedom request submitted to the Oldham Times revealed that over 150 e-cigarettes had already been confiscated from classrooms in just over a month.

Of the 18 high schools registered with Oldham Council, 17 responded to this data, showing that 170 e-cigarettes had been confiscated from students over the seven weeks from the start of the school year to October 23. However, as four schools did not collect this information, the actual number is expected to be higher. Co-op Academy Failsworth told the Oldham Times that not every student found with an e-cigarette would have it confiscated.

A spokesperson for the school explained why it was recorded that 25 students were found using or carrying e-cigarettes, but only 16 students had them confiscated.

"These numbers differ because students either share or refuse to hand them over," they said.

Crompton House, a school in Shaw, is actively addressing student vaping by installing e-cigarette detectors in the boys' restroom.
The school did not wish to comment, but according to the school monitoring website, it may have spent up to £999 on the device, with an additional £275 for a five-year software license subscription for each detector. This approach seems to be effective, as only one student had an e-cigarette confiscated, while up to 100 e-cigarettes have been confiscated across schools in the city, most of which came from two schools of Oldham Oasis Academy—Oasis Academy Oldham in Hollins and Oasis Academy Leesbrook in Leesbrook.