Bongs and Their Uses
The word bong is an adaptation of the word “baung” (Thai) and refers to a cylinder or tube manufactured from acrylic, bamboo, glass, or wooden materials. It is a smoking device that is oftentimes referred to as a “water pipe” which is typically used to smoke a variety of substances such as herbal or natural substances, marijuana, tobacco, or some other substance (controlled or otherwise). It is similar in construction to a hookah. The function of either a bong or a hookah is analogous since they produce very similar results when using them.
Bongs are usually constructed from a variety of designs and materials. However, they are classified as air and water tight vessels featuring a screened bowl and occasionally a slide or stemmed apparatus to be more specific. Interestingly enough, bongs have a long and storied history in that they have been in use for centuries among the Laotian Hmong culture and in Thailand. The earliest recorded use of the word appeared in 1944 in the McFarland Thai-English Dictionary.
Additionally, this dictionary defines the Thai word baung (bong) as being a water pipe constructed from bamboo and used for smoking a variety of substances (controlled or otherwise). These substances include hashish, hemp, or kancha according the January issue of “Marijuana Review” published in 1971. Smoking legal herbals and/or marijuana using a bong is said to have a cooling effect because of the use of water. This is one of the key features when using this device instead of rolling the substance like a cigar or cigarette.