MARIETTA, GA — It’s back to school Friday for thousands of students across metro Atlanta, including in Barrow, Carroll, Cherokee, Coweta, Paulding, Pickens, Walton counties, and the cities of Buford and Marietta.

In Marietta City Schools, students returning to middle and high school will notice a new addition in their bathrooms, vape detection devices. The district began testing the devices, which resemble smoke detectors but detect chemicals found in vapes and e-cigarettes, at the end of last school year. After a successful trial, they are now fully installed.

“When a device goes off, administrators are alerted by a silent alarm so we can respond quickly,” said Superintendent Dr. Grant Rivera. “Our hope is simply to be preventative. We understand children will experiment, we understand children might make bad decisions, we just hope it’s not vaping and it’s not in Marietta.”

Students caught vaping on campus face disciplinary action, including suspension and required education courses for both the student and their parents.

Also new this year in Marietta, a pilot program in high schools banning cell phones and other personal devices during class time, aimed at minimizing distractions and promoting learning.

WSB’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story