FreshAir Launches Smoking Detection Solution for Education Environments

Sensor solutions company FreshAir recently announced the launch of the FreshAir1 Smoking Detection System, according to a news release. The technology monitors for and detects tobacco and marijuana smoke, and it is geared toward use in school and university buildings—as well as dormitories—to help enforce non-smoking polices and protect infrastructure and other property.

The FreshAir sensors detect specific molecules in tobacco and marijuana smoke as opposed to use of light or radiation. Further, “the molecularly imprinted polymer that forms the sensor resets following smoking detection, thus enabling continued monitoring without additional upkeep,” the news release reports. The devices are tamper-proof and use a cloud-based monitoring platform to help deter standard efforts to avoid smoke detection.

FreshAir Smoking Detection System
Image courtesy of FreshAir

The devices plug into standard outlets and are held in place with tamper-proof screws. The detection is WiFi-enabled, and each device connects to building networks to communicate continuously with the central monitoring platform. Each device can monitor up to 500 square feet of space.

When the device detects smoke, it sends an alert via email, desktop, or push notifications to a mobile device. The alerts include a timestamped report and the monitored location where it was detected, providing evidence to enforce building smoking policies. The accompanying mobile app and online portal include information like alert history, device information, and space to log additional information as needed, according to the press release.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Fargo, N.D., Starts Construction on Consolidated Elementary School

    Fargo Public Schools in Fargo, N.D., recently announced the beginning of construction on a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with ICON Architectural Group and Kraus-Anderson Construction on the new Horace Mann Elementary School.

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.

  • Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator

    From Concrete Warehouse to Innovation Hub: Accelerating Sustainability at Stanford

    The transformation of a once windowless, concrete publishing warehouse into a sun-drenched center for global innovation began with a single, fundamental challenge: how to turn an industrial storage shell into a space built for human connection.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.