You’re starting to realize that smoking might not actually be the healthiest activity you partake in.
Whether you’re smoking cigarettes, cannabis pipes or joints, you’re consuming harmful toxins and inhaling smoke into your lungs. Yuck!
Luckily, there’s a (potential) solution: the almighty bong.
If the smoke passes through the water, it must be filtered to at least some extent, right? Or is the water just there to cool it down?
Let’s get to the bottom of this!
Are bongs healthier?
Some people think that bong water traps toxins produced by combusting weed. There are claims of bong water filtering up to 90% of toxins compared to other forms of heady glass! While this myth doesn’t hold up, there is still some science to back up the claim.
- The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published a study in 1963 showing that water filtration reduced the quantity and number of toxins in smoke.
- A study conducted at the University of Texas found that smoke that passed through water no longer contained two highly toxic chemicals.
- The University of Athens Medical School had similar findings about water filtration soaking up chemicals.
Are the amounts of chemicals and toxins being filtered out enough to make a difference? We’re not really qualified as a mere headshop to answer that question. But there is some filtration going on. And that alone might be enough to make you happy.
Are bongs more dangerous?
There’s another theory that bongs are actually more dangerous than other forms of heady glass because the bong water filters out other beneficial compounds, such as CBD, from the smoke.
While water filtration probably does filter some CBD and THC, they are only in trace amounts.
No matter what, everyone is on the same page that filtration does a great job at cooling down the smoke.
How does water filtration even work?
There are a couple of steps to water filtration.
First, you light the dry herbs. Next, you inhale. The inhale pulls the smoke through the water before reaching your lungs. As the smoke travels through the water, small bubbles are produced.
On its own, this is a huge pro. The smoke is easier on your lungs because it passes through the water. If you want even more of a cooling effect, consider a bong with an ice catcher. The higher the number of percolators in your bong, the more cooling and filtration you get.
The bong water also helps to remove any large particles that you might otherwise inhale if you were smoking using a different method, such as burnt ash.
Bong water obviously filters stuff out of the smoke- otherwise it wouldn’t get so gross!
If you still have questions, feel free to ask our head shop and we’ll explain the process to you in more detail.
What are some bong tips?
As bong connoisseurs here at your favorite headshop, we have a tip or two up our sleeves.
- Glass bongs are worlds ahead of metal and plastic ones. Metal and plastic bongs have the potential to leach harmful chemicals into the smoke. This is especially true for plastic bongs, as heated plastic can emit toxic fumes. While plastic bongs are cheaper, medical bills are not.
- Clean your bong and change the water every time you use it. Dirty bong water creates a gross taste and odor, doesn’t filter as well, and is kind of embarrassing. Keeping your bong clean will help you maintain a sense of pride in your belongings and you won’t feel ashamed to share it with friends.
- Use percolators. Bong percolators force the smoke through the water and cools down the smoke. Each hole on the percolator is a point of diffusion. Plus, the more holes the percolator has, the more drag there is for each hit. Learn the difference between all the various types of percolators so you can make an informed purchase!
What is the healthiest way to smoke?
If you’re really committed to smoking the healthiest way, dry herb vaporizers are your best option. This is because they don’t combust the herb- they simply heat up the beneficial compounds.
Because of their temperature control, they heat the herb to the exact temperature needed to release its active ingredients- avoiding burning and toxins, while still releasing all the compounds that get you high.
Speaking of high, dry herb vaporizers will get you much higher for the same amount of weed as other smoking methods. Over 40% more THC can be absorbed into your bloodstream when you use a vaporizer!
While they’re typically more expensive than bongs, they’re the way to go if you really care about your health.
Just be careful not to accidentally buy an oil vaporizer instead of a dry herb one. They’re two different things. You can see the difference at our Denver head shop.
But no matter the health benefits, dry herb vaporizers will never compare to bong hits.
Final thoughts
So bongs help reduce the toxins at least a little bit. Whether it’s enough to make a drastic difference is hard to say. Will it prevent lung cancer or popcorn lung? That’s a decision that you have to make.
In all, dry herb vaporizers are the safest way to consume pot. But you might not be ready to let go of massive bong rips just yet.
Maybe try to transition slowly or use them 50/50. It all depends on how much you care about your health!
As long as you’re making an informed decision, that’s all that matters.
