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Οι σχολικές τουαλέτες ήταν εδώ και καιρό μια δελεαστική κρυψώνα για τις μυστικές κακίες των εφήβων.
Το άτμισμα δεν είναι νέο πρόβλημα στα σχολεία Quad-Cities, αλλά οι πόροι για να κρατήσετε τη συνήθεια εκτός πανεπιστημιούπολης είναι νέοι. Αντιμετωπίζοντας αυτό που ορισμένοι ειδικοί θεωρούν μια αυξανόμενη επιδημία, πέντε σχολικές περιφέρειες της περιοχής Quad-City έχουν επενδύσει σε συσκευές για την ανίχνευση καπνού, μεταξύ άλλων απειλών για την υγεία και την ασφάλεια.
Η Υπηρεσία Τροφίμων και Φαρμάκων των ΗΠΑ αναφέρει ότι περισσότεροι από 2.5 εκατομμύρια μαθητές γυμνασίου και γυμνασίου σε όλη τη χώρα χρησιμοποίησαν ηλεκτρονικά τσιγάρα (vape) το 2022 — περισσότεροι από το ένα τέταρτο από αυτούς ατμίζουν καθημερινά. Το στατιστικό μεταφράζεται σε περίπου έναν στους 10 μαθητές.
Στην προσπάθεια να καταπνίξουν το άτμισμα των μαθητών, οι έξυπνοι αισθητήρες HALO έχουν γίνει αγαπημένοι μεταξύ των τοπικών σχολικών περιοχών.
Εκτός από τους αρωματισμένους ατμούς και/ή τον καπνό THC, οι αισθητήρες HALO μπορούν να ανιχνεύσουν ήχους που μπορεί να υποδηλώνουν απειλή για την ασφάλεια, όπως πυροβολισμούς, δυνατά χτυπήματα και ορισμένες λέξεις-κλειδιά που μπορεί να υποδηλώνουν βία.
North Scott’s HALO sensors, installed in junior high and high school restrooms a year ago, for example, will trigger if someone says “Help” or “Emergency.”Oil Below $80 ‘Not a Problem’ for Oman, Minister Says
United Township High School in East Moline soon will equip about half of its bathrooms with HALO devices.
“We plan to install 20 detectors; the install and first-year monitoring will be right at $40K,” Superintendent Jay Morrow said. “That’ll be directed by our Student Services. They know where to best position those.”
Prior to the beginning of the school year, Pleasant Valley High School installed HALO sensors in its first-floor restrooms at a cost of $19,080. District leaders hope to expand them to the second floor.
“That will probably take place over the summer — when it’s a convenient time to install them,” Superintendent Brian Strusz said.
In August, the Davenport district bought 22 HALO sensors to place in high-traffic restrooms at Central, North and West high schools at a cost of $51,358.38.
«Όλα έχουν εγκατασταθεί σε πιλοτική φάση, ώστε να μπορούμε να μετρήσουμε πόσο αποτελεσματικά είναι και πώς τα χρησιμοποιούμε ως σύστημα», δήλωσε ο Έφορος TJ Schneckloth. «Προσπαθούμε να επεκτείνουμε τη χρήση του HALO, αλλά πρέπει πραγματικά να εξετάσουμε τα δεδομένα και τον αντίκτυπο που θα έχει για να δούμε εάν η επένδυση αξίζει τον κόπο».
“Because of all the negative impacts vaping has on students, we’re trying to find a way to encourage students not to do that, so the HALO devices would help there,” said Pleasant Valley’s Strusz.
Before the school board approved the purchase in August, one Davenport parent expressed concern for her child’s privacy, though school leaders say privacy isn’t an issue.
For example, HALO will notify only the schools’ principals and assistant principals if the sensors detect a student vaping or possible violence. If triggered, Pleasant Valley and North Scott devices notify building administration and school resource officers.
“What we’re trying to do is work with students to educate them and provide any kind of assistance about the dangers, and we will follow with the discipline procedures we have in place,” Schneckloth said.
At United Township, the devices will notify Student Services staff, which includes the dean of students and school security.
“Those are the folks that are out on the regular beat, walking the halls and making sure students are getting where they need to be,” Morrow said. “They’ll be notified, most likely on their mobile device. We know there’s going to be some trial and error with this.”
But the vaping trend isn’t letting up on its own, he said.
“We know this isn’t going to be the ‘cure-all’ to solve student vaping,” he said. “But we hope this curtails it. First, we hope it dissuades them from vaping at all. But also, if a student chooses to vape, perhaps they’ll think twice if they know the sensors are there.”
Davenport schools’ disciplinary position states that in all cases of possession or use of drugs, drug paraphernalia or inhalants (or look-alikes) on school grounds, students will be removed from school and subsequently suspended. First-offense suspensions can be reduced if the student enrolls in drug services or a substance-abuse agency at the expense of the student’s family.
Vaping nicotine or THC on school grounds also is prohibited student conduct at United Township. If a student is caught via HALO sensor, Morrow said, the discipline will depend on the situation.
“With a regular vape versus if a student has one with THC in it — there’s different levels there,” he said. “There’ll be some standard punishments, whether that’s an in-school suspension for a certain amount of time’; I think it really depends on the circumstance. But there will certainly be a consequence.”
Bettendorf High School will demo the “Triton” vape sensors and are in the process of receiving the units. Rock Island-Milan school leaders have discussed investing in vape sensor devices, but don’t yet have a purchase or installation timeline.