There is no question on anyone’s mind about whether or not smoking is bad for you. This is been known since at least the 1970s, but in recent years, it is gone from avoiding encouraging it in children to an outright hateful and resentful sentiment by way of general populace toward smokers. This is arguably a bit excessive, and maybe a bit unjustified, but they are mostly coming from a well-meaning place.
Of course, you probably want to be healthier, but in such a short life, it’s hard to dedicate oneself to giving up everything we like, and suffering a little, just to prolong our lives a little bit more. So, you can see where both sides of this are coming from. While nothing can ever make smoking 100% healthier, there are things that can reduce the health risks of smoke, and a bong is one such thing. Bongs aren’t the healthiest smoking accessory that probably being an honor bestowed upon hookahs. However, it is a close second, and I will explain why. Bear in mind that with bongs, the smoke passes through water. This will be important in a minute.
First, know that smoke is made up of ash, oils and carcinogenic compounds. The oils aren’t the harmful part, those are the flavor and the nicotine or whatever other active chemical is in what is being smoked. Nicotine, in and of itself, isn’t even really that harmful. It is very addictive, but it’s the action carcinogens that are so bad for you. The truth is, inhaling any kind of smoke is going to be bad for you, but tobacco smoke is exceptionally noxious.
Considering this, what does water do? It is a natural filter, one of the closest things to a universal filter not unlike being a close to universal solvent. It can scrub things out of stuff without destroying it, and as the smoke bubbles through the water, most of the ash and carcinogens are stripped out. Some get through, so it’s still not 100% healthy, but depending on various factors, it can be upwards of 90% of the nasty stuff being pulled out by the water.
This water has other benefits too, including but not limited to the fact that it can moisten the smoke and make it less irritating, it can cool the smoke, and if you put flavorings like syrups, extracts or spirits in the water, you can even get some unique flavor combinations. Strongly spirited bong water can even make the smoke a bit intoxicating, so make sure you aren’t driving if you’re going to do that!
The best kind of bong to get would be glass, but there are some decent plastic and even nylon or vinyl structures out there, if you just aren’t that comfortable with the fragility of glass. Still, glass is the way to go, and high-quality, lab-standard glass that is replaceable and affordable can easily be found online from various New Zealand, Australia and Europe manufacturers. Shopping locally, you will find all kinds of beautiful art pieces that double as bongs, and you will find something that speaks to you for special occasions.
