Monitoring Devices and Tests to Detect Smoking or Vaping

 

When combined with other evidence, there are devices and kits that may help provide a minimum standard of proof that smoking or vaping tobacco or marijuana is occurring or drifting into other units or areas of a building. Try resolving compliance issues in other ways and consult an attorney before using devices or tests to ensure that leases and policies about monitors do not violate fair-housing laws.

 

Disclaimer: this document is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice or a guarantee that any of these devices are a foolproof method of detecting secondhand-smoke exposure, and/or meet the standard needed for proof in a court of law that smoking has occurred in a particular area.

 

Since we first published this article many more devices have come on the market,

so please search the Internet as well as referring to this article.

 

Passive Nicotine Monitors

These devices are the most effective in determining if smoking is occurring or if secondhand smoke is present.

 

Hammond Monitor: This device has been placed and analyzed weekly in the units of smokers and nonsmokers in studies done in Boston and Minnesota. The device should be left in one location for three to four weeks. It can be placed inside a unit or outside a unit, but it will be most accurate if placed close to where the problem exists.  The cost to obtain the monitor and return it for analysis is around $150.  Contact: S. Katharine Hammond at vcresearch.berkeley.edu or call 510-643-0289.

 

Repace Monitor: This device is the same as the Hammond monitor.  It detects secondhand smoke and needs to be in place for a month. A report is provided of nicotine levels and recommendations and has been used in some court cases.  The cost to obtain the monitor and return it with the analysis is $650.  Visit:  http://www.repace.com/

 

FreshAir Sensor: This monitor provides immediate alerts by e-mail whenever tobacco smoke is detected.  It has been tested in motels and airplanes as an enforcement tool to provide proof of smoking.  It requires a Wi-Fi connection and an Android device to program it.  The device is not designed to test secondhand-smoke exposure coming into a unit.  A marijuana-testing component available.   Prices vary but the manufacturer now requires a minimum purchase of 50 devices.  Visit: http://freshairsensor.com

 

Triton 3D Sense is a cigarette smoking detector, marijuana detector, loud noise sensor, and more and has been used in hundreds of schools, landlords, and hotels worldwide.  Multiple devices must be purchased for apartments and run about $750 a unit.  Visit: https://tritonsensors.com/

 

Particle Monitors

The very small-size particles (referred to as “PM2.5”) detected by these devices are not unique to secondhand smoke.  A person cooking in an apartment can create as much smoke as cigarettes can, and it is not possible to distinguish between the two with a simple particle monitor.  These devices pick up other sources of PM2.5 that are like secondhand smoke and therefore there is some question about whether using them would hold up in court for enforcement purposes. However, they have been used by both researchers and housing providers.

 

TSI SidePak: This is a more sophisticated monitor that requires some training to use, but it but also can pick up other particles. For information and price, visit: tsi.com/products

 

Dylos Monitor: This monitor uses a laser particle counter designed expressly to meet the needs of the home or office environment. It provides reports, counts individual particles, reports an immediate response to changing environments, and provides up to 30 days of stored history data.  Housing providers have used them and there are different models.  Some models can be connected to a computer and provide a date stamp. The cost to purchase the device ranges from $200 to $475.  Visit: www.dylosproducts.com

 

Other Devices and Tests

Homeaircheck Kit: This air-sample collector checks for the presence of second and thirdhand smoke found in your home by collecting air samples for certain chemical compounds. The collector can be placed in a hallway or in a unit.  Air sampling must occur between two to six hours and must be submitted within 14 days. This monitor might be more effective for a resident trying to prove smoke is coming into their unit.  There is a charge of $230 for the rental and report.  Visit: http://homeaircheck.com/

 

Cotinine Nicotine Tests: Cotinine is a byproduct of nicotine that is ingested directly or through exposure to secondhand smoke. Unless the person exposed is bedridden or isolated, they can pick up cotinine from breathing secondhand smoke on the street or elsewhere.   Testing involves using saliva or urine but may not be a great tool for either residents or housing providers wanting to prove exposure to secondhand smoke because unless the person exposed is bedridden or isolated, they can pick up cotinine from breathing secondhand smoke on the street or elsewhere.  There are several companies that sell these tests from around eight dollars and up listed online.

 

Tobacco and Marijuana Smoke Residue Tests: These kits can be used to test a property for nicotine or marijuana residues left behind by previous occupants.  They run $95 each.  Visit: https://www.emsltestkits.com/

 

Vape Detection Devices: There are two main types of vape detectors: particulate detectors and sensor detectors. Particulate detectors use a sensor to detect the presence of small particles that are released when vaping occurs. Sensor detectors use a sensor to detect the presence of specific chemicals that are released when vaping occurs.  There are number of companies that sell them online.

 

May be reprinted or copied with appropriate attribution to the

 Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution (GASP of Colorado) © January 2024