Warning: Fraudulent ‘Vape Detectors’ have arrived in Ireland

The Irish market is being flooded with cheap ‘Vape Detectors’. Please be aware these devices are not vape specific and will not be a long term solution to your vaping problems. These air quality sensors do not have the capability to detect vape alone. They will also detect aerosol and burden you with hundreds of false notifications.

We have seen schools across the UK fall victim to these fraudulent devices. They are being marketed and sold as Vape Detectors. After spending thousands of pounds installing the devices these schools are learning within 2 weeks of install that the devices are not fit for purpose and are not vape specific.

As a result of this students have learned quite quickly that spraying deodorant also triggers these vape detectors making these devices a great excuse for continued vaping. The countless false alarms have also introduced a new headache for schools trying to curb this habit.

How do these ‘Air Quality Monitors’ work?

Air quality monitors track air quality and notify you once it has deteriorated. The sensor is triggered when the quantity of particles in the air reach a certain threshold. This threshold is made up of everything suspended in the air and is not specific to any one thing. Once enough air particles have been detected the device deems your space ‘poor’ and you will get a notification. These devices are great for ensuring safe clean air indoors and can be used for viral control within certain settings, however they are not fit for purpose as a ‘Vape Detectors’ which they are being marketed and sold as. They cannot detect vape particles independently and should not be sold as being able to do so.

Vape and aerosol are quite difficult to distinguish between with a device only containing one sensor. Cheaper ‘vape detectors’ cannot distinguish the difference between the two. They are not vape specific meaning you will get hundreds of false alarms when student spray aerosol such as deodorants.

True vape detectors such as HALO use an algorithm and involve 5 different sensors set at different thresholds in order to be able to identify the difference between human behaviour and a chemical. They are scientifically designed to be vape specific and can distinguish between, cigarette smoke, vape, aerosol and THC detection. When you receive a notification from a ‘true’ vape detector your alert is accurate and is backed by science.

When purchasing any vape sensors please ask these 4 things to ensure you are not going to fall victim to these cheap air quality monitors:

1: Does this device detect vape specifically?

2: What happens when a student sprays aerosol in the bathroom? Can this device tell the difference between the two? (Masking Agents: Hairspray, Deodorant, Perfume, Body sprays)

3: Can this device specially tell me when there are drugs present?

4: Can the device be easily stolen from the ceiling? Is there a tamper alarm to notify me when this happens?