First things first – the keyword here is healthier, not healthy. I’m not going to sugarcoat this and pretend that inhaling smoke, even healthier smoke, is 100% safe. It’s not, and it can’t be. But, less so about why cigarette smoke is bad for you. Well, any kind of traditional tobacco smoke for that matter. It’s not nicotine, believe it or not. Nicotine is toxic in high amounts, but the amount in any kind of smoke isn’t remotely enough toxic in any reasonable amount of time. It’s addictive, and it’s definitely not great for growing bodies, but to an adult body, nicotine isn’t actually that harmful.
The reality is, smoke is made of ash and carcinogenic compounds, compounds that are a byproduct of combustion. Neither ash nor these compounds are good for you, and the same carcinogens in ashes are present in smoke from anything burning. That’s right, woodsmoke, popery smoke and incense smoke are bad for you too, though they are less carcinogenic than tobacco smoke.
The thing is, bongs use water as a natural way to filter and condition smoke, water being a natural filtering agent, the closest thing to a universal solvent there is. However, it also humidifiers and moistens the smoke, and the removal of the ash means that it is less of an irritant as well. If you add things like extracts and spirits to the water, it will also flavour the water and, in the case of the spirits, have a very mild intoxicant effect as well. Ice cubes are a popular thing, cooling the smoke further and giving it a bit of effervescence, especially with menthol tobacco, or meant extract in the water.
Now, it is worth noting that any place that bans regular forms of smoking will also have a ban on the use of bongs and vaporizers as well. So, along with the fact that they aren’t particularly portable, they don’t make for good solution for those looking for something they can use in public spaces that prohibit the open use of tobacco. If you want that, you will have to go with some sort of electronic solution, though those are quite heavily banned in many of these places as well.
Now, you may be wondering, aren’t these four other types of dry herbs, not tobacco? The truth is, they were originally designed for tobacco, designed by the same cultures that invented hookah, and even healthier way to consume tobacco. They were appropriated sometime in the middle of the twentieth century by enthusiasts of other herbs, thus they were a big part of the counterculture, and have become quite stereotypically popular in places like college dorm rooms and the like.
If you’re looking for a somewhat safer way to smoke at home, then you should consider switching to a bong. If you are ready to make the leap, or you have been using them for some time, don’t get your next bong at any old smoke shop down the road. Shosha is the best ozbongs shop in Australia where you can find a wide selection of bongs.
