It's Not Just Cigarettes: Vape Residue Sticks on Surfaces Too Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center How long does vape smoke stay in the air? Daily Mail Online Smoking cigarettes has long been proven to cause severe lung damage, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and lung cancer. Over time, cigarette smoke destroys lung tissue, fills airways with tar, Just like footprints you leave behind, smoke and vape leave traces too. On your clothes. In your home. In the air your family breathes. The smell may fade, but the harmful residue