Bongs – are they less damaging than standard smoking?
Smoking is a difficult habit to break due to the addictive effect of the substance being inhaled. There are several methods of smoking and one of the less damaging methods is the bong.
Commonly known as a water pipe, a bong is a device which is used to smoke substances such as tobacco or cannabis. A bong may be created from any water-and air-tight vessel by adding a stem apparatus and a bowl. The term ‘bong’ comes from ‘baung’, a Thai word which pertains to a pipe, container, or tube cut from bamboo that is also used for smoking. For centuries, the bong has been used by the people from Thailand and Laos.
In using a bong, water is placed in its base and the substance to be inhaled is placed in the cone piece and is ignited with a match or a lighter. The smoker’s lips are placed on the mouthpiece, which creates a seal and causes the flame to be drawn to the substance when inhaling. Then, smoke is produced and travels by a hollow pipe that is attached to the bottom of the bowl. Through an airtight stem, the pipe goes into a vessel that contains water and, through the water, the smoke rises. Particulates from the smoke are cooled and filtered then, above the water; the smoke is trapped in the air.
The bong is used because of the cooling effect of water, which decreases the chance of burning the airways, mouth, and lungs. Some water-soluble molecules and heavier particles are trapped and prevented by the water from entering the smoker’s airways. This makes the bong different from other smoking methods. Some people also use acrylic bongs for smoking, as you can get them with ice chambers in which gives a really cool smoke.