(NEXSTAR) – Ever found yourself engulfed in a sweet, cotton candy-scented mist? If you catch a whiff of vape vapor, it’s not the best news.

With vaping steadily replacing traditional cigarettes, encounters with secondhand vape emissions are on the rise. Although preliminary studies indicate it may not pose the same level of risk as secondhand cigarette smoke, experts caution it is not without its own set of dangers.

“While e-cigarettes don’t emit tobacco smoke, they do release an aerosol containing nicotine, ultrafine particles, and various chemicals that can irritate or inflame the lungs,” explained Dr. Humberto Choi, a pulmonologist with Cleveland Clinic.

Research from 2013 highlighted that being near someone who is vaping, particularly in confined spaces, can lead to nicotine exposure from the vapor exhaled by e-cigarette users. However, since it lacks the visible smoke of conventional cigarettes, some individuals underestimate the potential risks related to secondhand exposure.