Does Vaping Cause Secondhand Smoke? Secondhand smoke and vape can trigger your child's asthma attacks. Smoking and vaping are unhealthy for everyone but especially harmful for people with asthma. Whether at home, in the car, or Sitting somewhere when a cloud of cotton candy vapor washes over you? If you can smell the sweet scent of a vape, that's not a great sign. Avoiding Tobacco Smoke and E Cigarette Aerosol Is a Key Part of Asthma Management Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America