02 March 2022

In 2016, the United States Federal Government announced that each public housing authority would need to adopt a smoke-free policy by the end of July 2018. The mandate banned smoking inside or within 25 feet of any public housing structure. While the policy has been an essential step to ensure healthier and safer housing for millions of residents, property managers find enforcement of the policy to be challenging. To improve smoke-free compliance, many property managers have turned to FreshAir Sensor as the primary solution to effectively detect smoking, enforce the federal smoking ban, and keep tenants safe from secondhand smoke.

FreshAir offers the only technology of its kind to accurately monitor for and detect tobacco and marijuana smoking. FreshAir’s novel and patented sensors bind only with specific molecules that are present when someone is actively smoking tobacco or marijuana. The 24×7 monitoring catches unauthorized smoking and quickly provides scientific proof of tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke.

According to the CDC, 34% of multi-unit housing residents in the U.S. who do not allow smoking in their own homes are involuntarily exposed to secondhand smoke in their units. Secondhand smoke causes developmental delays and respiratory problems in children. There is no form of safe secondhand smoke, and unchecked smokers in multi-family units pose health risks to everyone in the buildings.

In addition to keeping tenants healthier, preventing smoking saves money for public housing authorities. Maintaining a no-smoking policy can prevent catastrophic events like fires. The federal smoking ban saves government housing agencies $153 million a year in apartment repairs and health care costs. According to the National Apartment Association, turning over an apartment which has been smoked in costs $3,000 to $8,000.

In the more than 1.2 million public housing rental units in the US, compliance with the smoke-free mandate is a tall order. Public housing authorities around the country install the FreshAir real-time smoking detection system to comply with the Federal mandate

By turning to FreshAir to prevent smoking and navigate their federally mandated no-smoking policies, public housing authorities reduce the risk of fire, eliminate health risks, and save money. As an ally of public housing authorities, FreshAir is working to keep tenants healthy and safe while helping property managers achieve and maintain compliance.

21 Jan 2022

Now more than ever, hotels strive to prevent the spread of disease and keep hotel guests and staff healthy with enhanced cleaning protocols, housekeeping routines, and contactless technology. Guests have welcomed these adjustments and improvements, as they look for safety as much as comfort in their hotel stays. Building on the progress of the cleanliness campaigns, the hospitality industry has the opportunity to utilize novel sensor technology to keep guests safe from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

No form of secondhand smoke is safe for anyone. According to the CDC, secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals; 70 of which cause cancer. The carcinogenic elements of tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke can eventually lead to severe forms of lung cancer. In addition to lasting health effects in adults, secondhand smoke causes developmental issues when pregnant mothers smoke or are exposed to smoke. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are especially vulnerable, suffering from increased ear infections, asthma attacks, and respiratory illnesses throughout their lifetimes.

With safety in mind, guests and hotel staff like housekeeping want assurances that their stays and workdays do not include exposure to secondhand smoke. With the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, guests and hotel staff are even more concerned with cleanliness standards that impact their health. New research shows that both smoking and secondhand smoke exposure exacerbate COVID-19 symptoms. In light of guest approval of COVID-related cleaning procedures and the importance of maintaining a smoke-free environment, systems and technology to keep hotels smoke-free are more important than ever.

The FreshAir detection system keeps guests and staff free from secondhand smoke exposure. Hotels across the country are installing FreshAir Wi-Fi devices equipped with patented sensors to detect marijuana smoking and tobacco smoking. FreshAir’s 24×7 monitoring catches unauthorized smoking quickly and deters guests and residents from breaking no-smoking policies. FreshAir’s immediate detection and smoking alerts give no wiggle room to policy-breakers, as the system provides scientific proof of tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke.

Secondhand smoke causes many health problems, including cancer and respiratory illnesses. In light of COVID-19, guests support enhanced cleanliness standards for healthy hotel stays. FreshAir helps hotels meet the responsibilities they have to their guests and staff to maintain safe, smoke-free properties.

For more information on the scientific basis of FreshAir Sensor, please view the supporting documents on our Sensor Technology page.

02 Nov 2021

Hotel cleanliness has long been at the top of the list for hotel guest satisfaction. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, hotels were regularly conducting room cleanliness checks. Commonly, a supervisor or manager would check a sampling of rooms – 10 percent is a typical sample size – to ensure they were properly cleaned. A housekeeping supervisor or general manager might conduct the inspection using a pen and paper system with a checklist or focus on a list of items that are often overlooked. After conducting the inspection, management might fill out the form, usually placing it in a binder or storing it in a stack of papers.

While some hotels have established good tracking processes or transitioned to digital records of the room inspections, the average hotel still has difficulty ensuring compliance with room check policies. Hotel or housekeeping management either skip the inspection altogether or fill out the forms without actually conducting the inspection. When these important verification steps are skipped, hotels will only know of issues with room readiness and cleanliness if guests complain directly. Only a small percentage of customer-facing issues actually result in complaints to the hotel. A majority of room readiness mistakes go unknown to management, while still tainting the guest experience and resulting in little to no staff accountability.

The sheer volume of paper or records that typical room check inspection processes generate is another challenge – think stacks of paper forms, shelves full of binders, but most of all, no method to clearly communicate the results to management or ownership.

How can technology simplify and improve the verification of daily cleaning in guest rooms? One approach is FreshCheck, a new technology that enables hotel management to ensure high levels of cleanliness. FreshCheck Inspection Verification uses connected devices in guest rooms and an easy-to-use mobile app to reliably verify room cleanliness and readiness.

The FreshCheck system is simple, easy, and requires no integration with other infrastructure. The small device (1.5-inch x 1.5-inch x 1-inch deep) is installed in each hotel room in a discreet location. The device electronically marks a specific location, so the inspector must be within close proximity to the device to check in at that location.

The room inspector checks a room and then uses the FreshCheck mobile app to record the inspection. The inspector’s mobile device must be in the room and within 10 feet of that room’s device to check in. That room will then be verified as inspected, and the inspector can move on to the next room.

Hotel management can view cleaning verifications and run detailed daily reports on inspected rooms. Those with multiple properties can receive a rollup report of all inspections conducted, enabling management to compare results across their portfolio and eliminate the need to mail stacks of paper or, if digital, sift through unreliable and lengthy records. The app provides a simple way to accurately verify the daily cleaning of each room, improve cleanliness, and improve guest satisfaction.

08 Oct 2021

Unauthorized smoking in hotel guest rooms causes a host of problems, including soft goods damage, poor guest reviews, and costly cleaning procedures. Many hotels charge $500 smoking fees to cover some of the costs. Without physical proof of smoking, hotels are vulnerable to losing these fees to credit card chargebacks. As the only technology which immediately detects and scientifically proves tobacco and marijuana smoking, FreshAir Sensor helps hotels successfully charge and keep smoking fees.

FreshAir Smoking Alerts are stand alone proof that smoking has taken place. FreshAir’s patented sensors have been developed through rigorous peer-reviewed research and testing and are proven to detect tobacco and marijuana smoke. The sensors perform like biological receptors, binding only with molecules that are present when someone is actively smoking tobacco or marijuana. The sensors do not respond to other sources of smoke. The Sensor Technology page includes additional information on how FreshAir sensors function as well as peer-reviewed research articles outlining their development.

The FreshAir smoking detection system includes documentation to help hotels and short term rental companies successfully charge their smoking and/or cleaning fees. With each smoking event, FreshAir users can access a Smoking Report with a time-stamped chart of the incident in the monitored space. This report allows hotel staff to record observations and actions taken for individual smoking violations. Hoteliers can download Smoking Reports to share externally with guests and/or credit card companies at the time of smoking violations or later when smoking fees are disputed.

Many hotels rely on the FreshAir 24×7 monitoring service to avoid chargebacks altogether. In addition to the Smoking Alerts and Smoking Reports, FreshAir offers best practices for hoteliers to promptly respond to Smoking Alerts, record observations and actions, and prevent credit card chargebacks from disputed smoking fees. Historically, physical or photographic evidence was the only way to adequately prove that smoking occured. FreshAir smoking sensors now offer a robust and reliable system of proof.

By providing objective evidence of unauthorized smoking, FreshAir allows hotels to charge smoking fees with confidence. Accurately charging the smoking fee with FreshAir documentation enables hotels to generate fee income and deter future smokers from attempting to smoke in guest rooms, reducing short and long term costs for hotel management.

FreshAir Sensor provides novel technology and reliable service for hotels to collect smoking fee revenue, win credit card chargebacks, and promote clean, smoke-free rooms.

For more information on the scientific basis of FreshAir Sensor, please view the supporting documents on our Sensor Technology page.

01 Jul 2021

No-smoking enforcement in hotels and apartments has been notoriously difficult due to the high burden of proof. Smoking odors and even the presence of smoking materials are often insufficient to charge smoking fees or prove lease violations, particularly when met with cunning guests or residents.

Scientific proof of smoking removes this ambiguity for hotel and apartment managers. As the only technology available to specifically monitor for, immediately detect, and prove tobacco and marijuana smoking, FreshAir smoking detection devices and smoking alerts provide the needed scientific proof. Data-driven smoking alerts streamline policy enforcement and ease communication between operator and customer.

Unlike traditional smoke detectors that indiscriminately indicate any particles, FreshAir’s novel and patented sensors bind only with specific molecules that are present when someone is actively smoking tobacco or marijuana. FreshAir sensors are not fooled by candles, incense, dust, pollen, steam, or other non-smoking sources. When clients receive FreshAir smoking alerts, they have reliable, stand-alone proof of the smoking incidents in the monitored space.

Smoking reports with time stamped charts of the smoking incident (pictured below) accompany each FreshAir alert. Hotel managers use the reports to log staff actions and observations for their records. Hoteliers can download the comprehensive reports to share with their guests at the time of violation to refute common excuses and reduce attempted chargebacks.

In the event of a disputed smoking fee, hoteliers can file the smoking report alongside its registration card to win the chargeback. The smoking alert provides sufficient evidence that smoking took place and the documentation needed to ease client interactions and fully collect smoking fees.

Residential property managers and public housing authorities find that FreshAir’s data-driven evidence improves compliance with federal and state no-smoking regulations. Property managers rely on the smoking alert’s scientific proof to confirm violations. Frequently when a resident’s attorney sees FreshAir documentation of smoking, the resident chooses to settle out of court in favor of the property management. When residents take property managers to housing court, FreshAir documentation has been deemed by judges as clear and convincing evidence to successfully prove the smoking violations.

FreshAir provides a detailed record of not only individual smoking events, but also smoking trends on property. All smoking alerts and reports are logged in the client online portal with timestamps and incident locations. This data allows clients to monitor and quantify trends in no-smoking violations across their properties and portfolios. Seasonal trends, collected fees, and response consistency are among the information accessible to hotels and property managers through FreshAir. Smoking data allows clients to better understand no-smoking violations on their properties and how to prevent them in the future.

Documented alerts and reports provide a data-driven solution to smoking prevention and enforcement. FreshAir clients rely on the evidence provided by smoking alerts to charge smoking fees, ease client interactions during follow up, and enforce lease violations. FreshAir technology works effectively for hotel managers and property managers alike, providing the scientific proof to confidently enforce no-smoking policies.

02 Jun 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing hotel guests’ behaviors and expectations. They spend more time in their rooms, and as a result, unauthorized smoking is on the rise. At the same time, the hospitality industry is adapting to meet higher expectations for cleanliness with new procedures and technologies. With the only technology to immediately detect and scientifically prove smoking, FreshAir Sensor enables hotels and short term rental companies to manage no-smoking policies and promote cleanliness.

For hotels and vacation rentals, shifting travel habits mean preparing for more smoking inside. While frequent business travel has decreased during the pandemic, the work-from-home trend provides workers with the flexibility to take their offices anywhere. Remote workers and leisure travelers are turning to road trips to explore rural parts of the country and prefer longer stays over weekend getaways. In response to these changes, many mid and luxury scale hotels have lowered rates to increase occupancy and, in some cases, shifted the demographics of their customer base. With a different population of guests spending more time in their rooms, the hospitality industry has seen an increase in the number of unauthorized smoking events.

In addition to changes in traveler profiles and itineraries, the American Hotel & Lodging Association State of the Industry 2021 Report details that the pandemic has modified guest expectations for cleanliness. Hotel companies turned to third party cleaning certifications and heightened transparency via corporate cleaning programs such as Marriott’s Commitment to Cleanliness, IHG’s Clean Promise, and Hilton’s CleanStay. To allow for distancing, public areas and gathering spaces have been modified and amplified. Because smoking is a top factor in negative guest reviews related to cleanliness, limiting unwanted smoking continues to be a top priority for hoteliers.

Adapting to changing travel norms, the hospitality industry is investing in new technology to meet changing guest needs. Contactless check-in as well as novel cleaning technologies help to meet new expectations. FreshAir smoking sensors immediately detect tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke, and the FreshAir monitoring service sends smoking alerts directly to hotel management via desktop, email, and/or text. The FreshAir smoking detection system supports the hospitality industry’s shift towards contactless processes and enables hoteliers to enforce no-smoking policies quickly, remotely, and safely.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed travel as well as guest habits and expectations. Many hotels and short term rentals are rising to the occasion by investing in new technology. FreshAir Sensor continues to support hotels by providing a contactless solution for smoke-free enforcement and room cleanliness.

19 Apr 2021

The growing trend of marijuana legalization along with increased smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused more unauthorized smoking in hotels. As hoteliers struggle to enforce policies to keep their properties smoke-free and clean, the true cost of smoking is more significant than guest complaints and room cleaning. Hotel managers need a proactive, specialized detection system to monitor for smoking in rooms and provide real-time alerts of smoking events.

Forty-four states have legalized marijuana. The decriminalization of non-medical cannabis has created an unintended consequence for hoteliers: guests feel empowered to smoke in their rooms. States with legalized marijuana are seen as “420 friendly,” promoting cannabis friendly tourism where guests can smoke marijuana without consequences. For example, Nevada legalized marijuana for medical use in 2000 and recreational use in 2017. With its combination of casino-hotels and 420 friendly tourism, especially in Las Vegas, Nevada is attracting more marijuana smokers.

COVID-19 has exacerbated the smoking problems for hotels. Studies show that the pandemic has increased marijuana and tobacco use, and that self-isolation increases cannabis use. As hotels re-open from the pandemic lockdown, they report rising rates of both marijuana smoking and tobacco smoking in no-smoking rooms. At the same time, non-smoking guests demand clean air and clean rooms to higher standards than ever before.

In addition to guest empowerment due to marijuana legalization, detection and enforcement of smoking are vexing problems for hotel managers. The smell of marijuana smoke moves quickly and widely, and more guests register especially harsh complaints (not just from the rooms next door or across the hall). Hotel staff struggle to pinpoint the smoking to a guest room. They are not able to stop the smoking, prove the smoking, and charge the cleaning fee. During a Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association (NHLA) webinar, hotel executives described this challenge as “something like a hall of mirrors goose chase” for their staff, sniffing from door to door unable to locate the smoking.

Unauthorized smoking in hotel rooms brings a host of problems: smoky smells, negative reviews, lower NPS, expensive cleaning, lost revenue, reduced GOPPAR, guest complaints, and customer defections. Non-smoking guests have exceptionally negative reactions to marijuana smoke and its pungent smell (the smell of burned ammonia). A senior executive at a casino-hotel group in a state where marijuana was legalized said, “Smoking violations have gotten so bad in our hotels that our regular high rollers are starting to leave.”

Hotels across the country are installing FreshAir Wi-Fi devices equipped with patented sensors to detect marijuana smoking and tobacco smoking. Smoking alerts from FreshAir 24×7 monitoring provide timestamped, scientific proof of smoking in a guest room. Hoteliers can charge cleaning fees with confidence and see an immediate return on investment. This specialized detection helps hoteliers keep the promise of clean, no-smoking properties.

09 Mar 2021

Disclaimer: Please note that FreshAir solutions are not designed for in-home or consumer use. If interested in bringing vaping detection to your schools, please refer your school officials to the FreshAir website.

A quarter or more of all kids and teens vape or smoke, and the majority of youth who use nicotine do so using e-cigarette technology.¹ Although the research on the health risks of vaping is still ongoing, longstanding knowledge about the risk of nicotine use generally indicates that the rapidly rising vaping rates among kids and teens presents a public health crisis. Risks to brain development, lung capacity, and more are serious. What’s more, research has shown that vaping among youth is a significant risk factor for beginning to smoke traditional cigarettes, which carries further health risks.²

Students tend to hide vape use from parents, teachers, and other adults, so detection is a central part of prevention. One of the most significant issues in prevention efforts focused on kids and teens is finding ways to introduce detection – and thus supervision – in spaces where adult supervision is not typically possible. School bathrooms and locker rooms, for example, have low to no supervision and are currently hotspots for vaping in schools. Promising new vaping detection technology being developed may hold the key to reducing student vaping rates in schools and thus to helping teens to quit before they become addicted to nicotine.

FreshAir vaping detection technology, funded by NIH grants, is similar to biological receptors; it detects only molecules specific to vaping. The sensors have high sensitivity (i.e., can detect low levels of the substance) and high selectivity (i.e., specified to vaping substances alone). The sensors will specifically detect vaping and provide scientific proof of when it took place. These sensors were developed in the FreshAir lab and are currently being commercialized for use in middle schools and high schools. The sensors will allow for monitoring of students in environments where adults will not always be present. Stay tuned for where the research and develoment take FreshAir in 2021.

¹ CDC, Tobacco Product Use and Associated Factors Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/ss/ss6812a1.htm; NCBI, e-Cigarette Use Among Youth in the United States, 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6865299/.

² NCBI, e-Cigarette Use Among Youth in the United States, 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6865299/; Truth Initiative, Why Vaping is an Important Issue, https://truthinitiative.org/our-top-issues/vaping-issue.