All 29 Hillsborough County public high schools are in the process of being equipped with AI-powered smart sensors designed to detect vaping, fighting and other unsafe behaviors inside school restrooms without recording any audi o or video of students.The devices, called Halo sensors, are manufactured and installed by Bradenton-based company SecureUS Solutions. Bloomingdale High School in Valrico was one of two pilot schools for the technology and has already seen a measurable drop in bathroom vaping since the sensors were installed. Full installation across all 29 Hillsborough County high schools is expected to be complete by the end of May.WATCH: Hillsborough County high schools roll out AI-powered bathroom sensors to detect vaping, fights Local high schools roll out AI-powered bathroom sensors to detect vaping, fightsReporter Jada Williams spoke with the school's principal, the company's founder, current students and a public health expert to get a full picture of how the technology works, why it was needed and what it means for student health.Bloomingdale High School Principal Marcos Rodriguez said the school was one of two pilot schools for Secure Solutions and that the technology has already made a measurable difference on campus."The sensors are designed to trigger a lot of different activity that will occur in the restrooms, and then the administrators will receive alerts of what's going on," Rodriguez said.Rodriguez said the school sits on just over 80 acres, making it difficult to monitor every corner of campus. The data collected through the pilot program helped administrators identify patterns, including which times of day and which specific locations saw the most vaping activity."As we started to gather trends and see where some of the vaping was going on at certain parts of the school day, it allowed us to really station some of our employees and adults around those areas," Rodriguez said.He said the alerts were going off constantly when the sensors were first installed but have slowed significantly since then, thanks to a combination of increased monitoring, student awareness and a proactive staffing approach that places adults near restroom entrances during transitions and lunch periods.How the technology worksKristine Marsh, president and founder of Secure Solutions, said the Halo device is more than just a vape detector."It ensures student safety while they're in bathrooms or other private areas such as locker rooms," Marsh said. "It can determine through smart censoring decibels, and if decibels rise above a certain level that it's been trained to recognize, then it automatically sends notification to the staff that a student may need assistance in a restroom due to either bullying or any other type of behavior that's unwanted."The sensors monitor 16 different environmental and acoustic changes. When they detect something unusual, such as a spike in airborne particles consistent with vaping or a sudden rise in noise levels that could indicate a fight or bullying, they immediately send a push notification to a designated response team at the school.Marsh stresses that the sensors do not record audio or video of any kind, preserving student privacy while still monitoring for safety concerns."These sensors, even though they're AI and they can tell when there's a loud sound and assistance might be needed, in no way ever records any audio or any video," Marsh said.The AI component of the device works by spending approximately 2 weeks learning the normal acoustic environment of each individual bathroom. It accounts for bell schedules, high-traffic periods and the unique airflow patterns of each restroom. Over time, it becomes calibrated to distinguish between expected noise levels and those that may signal a problem, reducing false positives while still catching genuine incidents.Marsh said the sensors track both tobacco-based vaping and THC, as well as air quality, humidity and more than a dozen other environmental factors. While the technology is capable of sending notifications for all 16 sensor categories, Hillsborough County Schools worked with Secure Solutions to customize which alerts are pushed to staff, avoiding what Marsh called "notification fatigue."Marsh also confirmed the sensors are not limited to restrooms. The technology can be installed in stairwells, near exterior doorways, gymnasiums, auditoriums and workout rooms, though any expansion beyond bathrooms would be a decision for Hillsborough County Schools to make.She noted the sensors would not be triggered by a student whose clothing smells like cigarette smoke from a household where someone smokes, because the detection is based on airflow and airborne particles rather than residual odors.The technology has already been deployed in Collier County, Hernando County and several other Florida school districts, in addition to Hillsborough County.Students notice the differenceStudents at Bloomingdale High School told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Jada Williams that the change in their school's bathrooms has been significant.Harrison Hudson, a 12th grader at Bloomingdale, said the bathrooms used to be crowded with students who were not there to use the facilities."It's nice being able to go into a bathroom where you know that it's not going to be over packed and the stalls and the urinals aren't going to be used by people who aren't actually using it, and they're just trying to hide out," Hudson said.Hudson said vaping in schools has fluctuated over his years at Bloomingdale but has trended upward overall, with recent improvements tied directly to the sensors and increased adult monitoring. He added that he has never noticed the sensors themselves inside the bathrooms, saying he does not even know where in the restroom they are located.When asked whether the sensors might push students to find other locations on campus to vape, Hudson said he does not think that has happened."The bathroom used to be where everybody would go if they were trying to vape, but I would say that throughout my years here, I don't think I've seen it anywhere else except for a bathroom," Hudson said.Junior Avery McDonald said the difference in the girls' restrooms has been just as dramatic."Our bathrooms are always so filled with people and crowded in the stalls or crowded in the corners doing something. But now it's totally different, like there's only about four people in there at a time, because our AP's and teachers monitor it," McDonald said.McDonald said she does not have friends in her immediate friend group who vape but has seen the habit affect people close to her. She said she believes vaping is driven in part by a desire to appear older or to take risks, and that the health consequences are serious enough that it should be stopped, particularly among younger high school students.Both students said they and their peers are largely supportive of the sensors, describing the change in the bathrooms as making them feel more comfortable and welcome in that space.Why vaping is a serious health concernClara Reynolds, president and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, said the health risks of vaping for teenagers are significant and long-lasting."What we know from the research is that when children inhale particularly, that can have some significant impacts to the developing brain and can lead to longer-term issues such as addiction, it can change chemical processing," Reynolds said.Reynolds said one of the most dangerous aspects of vaping among teenagers is how easily it goes undetected, both by school staff and by parents. Unlike cigarettes, which leave a strong and recognizable odor, vaping produces little to no smell, and the devices themselves are often small enough to be mistaken for a thumb drive or other common object.She said the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, which operates the alcohol and substance abuse hotline for the region, has seen firsthand how early vaping can lead to long-term addiction. Reynolds said young people who begin vaping in middle school or early high school often find themselves in college or beyond still dependent on nicotine or other substances, having started at an age when their brains were still developing."The younger kids start, even if they start with nicotine, they may move into other types of vaping, such as marijuana and other substances," Reynolds said.Reynolds said she is encouraged by Hillsborough County's approach, which pairs detection with education rather than relying solely on punishment."A program that is designed not to be punitive, but to really be able to help kids learn that this thing that they're doing isn't risk free, it's not without consequences. And to provide that education, I think is very valuable," Reynolds said.Consequences and educationRodriguez said any student caught vaping at Bloomingdale is subject to consequences outlined in the district's code of conduct, which follows a progressive discipline model based on the frequency of violations. He said expulsion is possible in repeat cases but that every situation is handled on a case-by-case basis.Beyond discipline, Rodriguez said the school requires students caught vaping to complete a state course on the dangers and long-term consequences of vaping. Vaping education is also incorporated into the school's HOPE classes, which all students take when they enter high school as ninth graders."The education is ongoing, but really it's finding those that are vaping, that may have an addiction issue, or they may just not know what those impacts are to themselves and their bodies as they get older," Rodriguez said.Reynolds added that for anyone, whether a teenager who is struggling or a parent who suspects their child may be vaping, the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay can be reached simply by dialing 211 to connect with resources, support, and cessation programs available in the community. ...read more read less