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.

As vaping becomes a more common replacement for smoking cigarettes, we`re more likely to be exposed to secondhand vaping. While early research suggests it may not be as dangerous as secondhand smoking, it`s still not harmless, experts say.

"E-cigarettes don`t produce tobacco smoke, but they do release an aerosol that may contain nicotine, ultrafine particles, and chemicals that can irritate or inflame the lungs," said Cleveland Clinic pulmonologist Dr. Humberto Choi.

Being around people who are vaping, especially in an enclosed environment, can expose you to nicotine as e-cigarette smokers exhale, a 2013 study found. But because it doesn`t create smoke like traditional cigarettes do, some people don`t take the risk of secondhand exposure as seriously.

"Aerosols from vaping contain heavy metals and ultrafine particles," said Dr. Talat Islam, who published research on the subject as an assistant professor at the University of Southern California. "If somebody else is vaping in the same area, you`re breathing it - those particles are entering your lungs, where they can do damage."

If you can smell the fruity or candy-like scent of someone vaping, that means you`re breathing in at least some of those chemicals, said Choi. "It might not be dangerous from a brief moment in passing, but it is not ‘just water vapor.`"

Both doctors say more research is needed to understand the longterm impacts of secondhand exposure to vaping. In the short-term, people can experience coughing, wheezing or an asthma flare-up, especially if they have existing respiratory sensitivities.

In the absence of more research, Choi recommends caution: "it is reasonable to recommend to keep vaping completely away from infants, children, pregnant people, and anyone with chronic breathing problems."