---
title: "Schools Are Installing Bathroom Surveillance Systems to Bust Vapers"
description: "A vaping detection system with AI-powered sensors is alerting officials in the U.S. and Canada to the signs of vaping in school bathrooms."
date: "2018-10-31"
modified: "2018-10-31"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin.md"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/vaping-detection-surveillance-bathrooms"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "juul"
  - "surveillance"
  - "the digest"
  - "vaping"
---

# Schools Are Installing Bathroom Surveillance Systems to Bust Vapers

![A vaping detection system with AI-powered sensors is alerting officials in the U.S. and Canada to the signs of vaping in school bathrooms.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/vaping-detection-surveillance-bathrooms.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Ruben Bagues/Ken Treloar/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## AI Spies

The Food and Drug Administration has made a big push in recent months to [crack down](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/fda-vape-flavors.md>) on the marketing of e-cigarettes to minors. It's sent hundreds of [warning letters](<https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm620184.htm>) to manufacturers, fined a handful, and even raided the headquarters of popular vape-maker Juul.

Now, schools across the U.S. and Canada are taking a different approach by using AI-powered surveillance devices to catch students vaping — where else? — in bathrooms.

## Potty Mouth

According to a [new story](<https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/robotics/artificial-intelligence/schools-enlist-ai-to-detect-vaping-and-bullies-in-bathrooms>) in *IEEE Spectrum*, more than 200 schools in the U.S. and Canada are currently using Fly Sense, an AI-powered vaping detection system. Since most underage school vaping takes place in bathrooms — where the schools aren't legally allowed to install cameras — Fly Sense detects vaping using other types of sensors.

Fly Sense's sensors detect the chemical signatures of vaping and send real-time text or email alerts to school officials. The school can program the vaping detection system to send these alerts to different staff members depending on the time of day.

## Flawed but Effective

Fly Sense maker Soter Technologies claims the system is between 70 and 80 percent accurate at detecting vaping — no word on how the people receiving the alerts feel about every one in five being a false alarm.

According to Soter, even if it's not 100 percent accurate, Fly Sense might scare students vape-free — locations with the system installed see an average decrease in vaping of 70 percent.

So, while installing *any* surveillance device in a bathroom isn't exactly ideal, until we can find a way to keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of minors, Fly Sense can at least help us keep students from vaping when they're supposed to be learning.

**READ MORE:** [Schools Enlist AI to Detect Vaping and Bullies in Bathrooms](<https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/robotics/artificial-intelligence/schools-enlist-ai-to-detect-vaping-and-bullies-in-bathrooms>) \[*IEEE Spectrum*\]

***More on vaping: The FDA Just Raided the Headquarters of E-Cigarette Maker Juul***

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)

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