Is Secondhand Vape Smoke Bad for You? Baton Rouge General How secondhand smoke, thirdhand smoke & vaping affects kids When someone vapes around others they expose them to 'second hand aerosol'. But what happens to that aerosol then? Does it disappear or is it like cigarette smoke and stays around, sticking to POV: You thought it was just water vapor. Secondhand vape aerosol actually contains: Nicotine (yep, it lingers) Formaldehyde (carcinogen) Heavy metals (nickel, lead, tin) Ultra fine particles Secondhand exposure from vaping marijuana: Concentrations, emissions, and exposures determined using both research grade and low cost monitors ScienceDirect Juul study shows secondhand vaping emissions are less toxic than cigarette smoke