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