Here's why only 1 London high school has bathroom vape detectors

When 15-year-old Lilly Wilson walks into any bathroom at Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School in London, she often has to pass through a cloud of e-cigarette vapour.

"I know it's really bad for you, so whatever they're vaping or smoking, I don't want to breathe it in," said the Grade 10 student. "I'd like there to be vape alarms or some way to stop it."

A pilot project to put vape alarms in school bathrooms was part of a provincial government plan announced in spring of 2024 to curb vaping on school property. It came as Canada reported some of the highest rates of teen vaping in the world.

Now, more than a year after those measures were announced, only one London-area high school has installed bathroom vape alarms as part of the project.

In a statement to CBC News, a Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) spokesperson said they're aware that "vaping is an issue in London schools" and that they're doing what they can to stop it from happening on school property.

When asked initially about bathroom vape detectors, the school board initially refused to say where they were installed. CBC News learned the detectors are being piloted at Strathroy District Collegiate Institute (SDCI), which the school board later confirmed.

Officials said the detectors were installed last school year and that so far, the feedback is positive.

"We continue to review the effectiveness of these vape detectors and, if proven effective, may consider introducing them at more schools within TVDSB," the board's statement said.

The London District Catholic School Board wouldn't say whether any vape alarms are installed at their schools, referring all queries to the Middlesex-London Health Unit.

Vaping devices, also known as e-cigarettes, have been linked to an increase in asthma and other lung conditions. Instead of inhaling tobacco smoke, a vape user inhales the vapour of a liquid heated into an aerosol using a small battery-powered device. The liquid contains nicotine and other chemicals.

Companies that market e-cigarettes often promote them as a safer alternative to smoking or as an effective way to stop smoking. Health officials, however, warn that vaping is harmful, addictive and often sold in colourful packaging and offered in flavours that are specifically targeted to teen users.

In its statement to CBC News, the the public school board said there are no plans to expand the bathroom vape detector pilot program to other high schools because of funding constraints.

According to the TVDSB, when vape particles are detected in the air inside school bathrooms, the vape detectors send an electronic message to the principal's smart phone. The school board says students at SDCI were notified about the vape detectors when they were installed last year.

Veronica Wilson, Lilly's mother, is frustrated the vape detectors have only been installed in one London high school.

"I would love to see a vape alarm in all high schools in London," said Wilson. "I'm really disappointed that the teens' needs are not being met."

In addition to using vape detectors for enforcement, they could also be an effective way to generate data to indicate where and when students are using e-cigarettes, Wilson said. She's had trouble getting clear information about the pilot program from the school and from school board trustees.

"There's no transparency on this and there should be," she said. "It's a health issue."

CBC News spoke to students at SDCI who say they've seen the vape detectors in bathrooms, though it's unclear how well they're working or if they're an effective deterrent.

"Vaping is very common, it's in every washroom you go into," said Grade 12 Tyrell Waynerbettencourt. He formerly was a student at H.B. Beal Secondary in London, and said the problem was similar there.

Seventeen-year-old SDCI Grade 12 student Success Ojoibukun said she doesn't have a problem with students vaping as long as they follow the rules and do it away from school property so other students are not exposed to second-hand vapour.

"We're sharing a public space. They should be considerate of other people and potentially the harm that can be done," she said. "People want to exist in a safe environment."

It's against the law to sell vape products to anyone under 19 years old. Also under Ontario laws, vaping is illegal inside school buildings and school grounds or within 20 metres of school grounds. Punishment can lead to a $305 fine. Selling or supplying vape products to anyone under 19 can lead to a $490 fine.

Students at SDCI were reminded of the vaping rules at a school assembly on Tuesday that was part of the regular start-of-year orientation process.