The movie is clearly made for TV quality, i.e. it does not present much of a reason to be watched and leaves some questions unanswered but not the ones about the cigarettes or the glow the other user commented on. If you pay attention to the movie, you will discover that the cigarettes come from a discarded purse found in the trash pile that Jackie Lawrence (Portia de Rossi's character) hid in after escaping what is referred to as "the vault" in the movie and which turns out to be some kind of makeshift lab in the basement. The glow itself, appears to be the energy the building owners need to extend their longevity... Just my $0.02!