Is It Safe To Vape At Home? TECC Blog It's Not Just Cigarettes: Vape Residue Sticks on Surfaces Too Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center Vaping Indoors and How it Contributes to Sick Home Syndrome Bactronix Even after a cigarette is extinguished, nicotine and other chemicals react with indoor pollutants to form a hazardous film known as thirdhand smoke. This residue re emits harmful gases back into the environment.