Bong

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See also: Bong (disambiguation)

A bong, also commonly known as a water pipe, is a smoking device, generally used to smoke cannabis or tobacco, but also other substances.^[1][2] The construction of a bong and its principle of action is similar to that of the hookah, which is also called "water pipe". Smoking a bong contrasts with smoking a pipe or cigarette in two major ways: bongs cool the smoke before it enters the user’s lungs (making it easier to smoke), and a large amount of smoke is inhaled quickly as opposed to the smaller, more frequent, inhalations of pipe and cigarette smoking.

Etymology

The word bong is an adaptation of Thai baung (Thai: บ้อง),^[3] a cylindrical wooden tube, pipe, or container cut from bamboo. The Thai word passed into the English language during the Vietnam War when five American military bases were located in Thailand. One of the earliest recorded uses of the word dates to a piece in the January 1971 issue of the Marijuana Review.^[4]

How a bong works

Diagram of a bong in operation.

The user holds a flame over the substance to be smoked. As the user inhales, the flame is drawn towards the substance and the smoke travels through a hollow pipe that is attached to the bottom of the bowl containing the smokable material. The pipe enters into a vessel containing water. The hole through which this stem passes is airtight, and the bottom of the pipe is submerged in the water. The smoke rises through the water, cools, and is trapped in the air chamber above the water. At the side (or back) of the container, above the water level, there is usually a small air hole (the "carb"), which is kept covered up with a finger until the point when sufficient smoke has been held in the air gap. Its purpose is to allow an easy passage of air into the container when the smoke is finally inhaled into the lungs. The fresh air from this hole helps to cool the smoke further. In the US, most glass bongs have a "pull Up" or "pull Out" bowl which has a rubber O-ring to form a seal with the bong stem. The glass bowl is pulled out of the stem after the chamber is full of smoke, allowing clean air to enter the chamber further cooling the smoke and allowing the user to "clear the bong". Some American made plastic bongs also have a "Pull Up Bowl"; they have either glass or metal stems but depending on the company that makes the bong it is either a glass pull out or a pull out metal bowl.

Using a bong

The bong is partly filled with water, the amount depending on the size of the bong. Sometimes other liquids are used, although alcohol and oils filter out a certain percentage of the THC when used for smoking marijuana. This is because THC is fat-soluble and, to a lesser extent, alcohol-soluble. THC is not water-soluble, which makes water the ideal fluid for filling a bong.^[5] The substance to be smoked is packed into the bowl and ignited. It is also possible to use a low temperature soldering tool to light the substance to be smoked, or even a magnifying glass in order to heat the substance to the exact temperature at which it burns, thus avoiding any over-heating and therefore, theoretically, loss of THC. The user places his/her lips on the mouth piece, forming a seal, and inhales, causing the flame to be drawn toward the substance. An inhalation is known as a "hit", "pull" or "rip." If the smoker is using a larger bong, the first hit contains little or no smoke; its purpose is to draw the clean air out of the chamber and to start drawing in smoke from the bowl. If a smaller bong is being used, the first hit should consume most of the smoke. When the user feels that they have inhaled a satisfactory amount of smoke, he or she can pull the bowl out of the bong to introduce "clean" air. This is known as "clearing" or "pulling the slide." Other bongs have a small hole, known as a "carb", "shottie" (in Australia), "rush" (in New England), or "choke", above the water level, to be blocked with the user's thumb until he/she draws enough smoke to fill the chamber. Once the chamber has been filled with smoke, the slide bowl is removed (or carb unblocked) and the smoker inhales sharply, drawing the smoke into their lungs.

Efficiency of dosage

By making the smoke cooler and more palatable it allows the substance to be inhaled more deeply and rapidly. The maximum amount of smoke that can be inhaled in a single hit depends on the bong's chamber capacity, and the smoker's lung capacity. Normally, this amount of smoke is far greater than can be achieved when smoking a pipe, cigarette, or cigar. Thus, a bong gives a stronger hit than other smoking methods.

Perceived health benefits

A variety of pipes and bongs for sale. Retailers often specify their use for tobacco in an attempt to circumvent laws against selling drug paraphernalia.

The cooling of the smoke helps to reduce the chance of burning to the mouth, airways, and lungs. The water can trap some heavier particles and the more water-soluble molecules, preventing them from entering the smoker's lungs.

Most smokers believe that bongs are healthier than other smoking methods; however, a 2000 NORML-MAPS study found that "water pipes filter out more psychoactive THC than they do other tars, thereby requiring users to smoke more to reach their desired effect" ^[6]. Smoke from cannabis supplied by the NIDA was drawn through a number of smoking devices and analyzed. A smoking machine, adjusted to mimic the puff length of cannabis smokers, drew smoke through a standard bong, a small portable bong with a folding stem, a bong with a motorized paddle that thoroughly mixes the smoke with the water, and two different types of vaporizers. However, MAPS ^[7] reviewed a study that examined the effects and composition of water filtered and non-filtered cannabis and tobacco smoke. It found that when alveolar macrophages, an important component in the lungs' immune system, were exposed to unfiltered smoke, there was a marked reduction in the macrophages' ability to fight bacteria, whereas there was no such reduction in those exposed to water-filtered smoke. It also found that there is substantial epidemiological evidence among tobacco smokers that those who smoke through water-pipes, as opposed to cigarettes, cigars, and regular pipes, have lower incidences of carcinoma. "It appears that water filtration can be effective in removing components from cannabis smoke that are known toxicants... The effectiveness of toxicant removal is related to the smoke's water contact area. Specially designed water pipes, incorporating particulate filters and gas dispersion frits, would likely be most effective in this regard; the gas dispersion frit serves to break up the smoke into very fine bubbles, thereby increasing its water contact area." ^[8] This study suggests that a bong's smoke is less harmful than unfiltered smoke.

Bong water

Bong water is used to filter and cool the smoke. The most popular choice among smokers is cold water and for a more substantial cooling effect, ice cubes can be used. When the bong water is not regularly renewed, it can result in a simple discoloration in the form of a green, brown, and eventually black tint. Some waters, such as municipal tap, contain minerals that can promote residue buildup, making distilled water preferable. In addition, as a bong is smoked, ash is sucked through the stem where it rests in the bong water. Standing water and ash can produce lye.

Materials

Bongs can vary greatly in their shape, material, style, color, and size. Commonly constructed from metal, acrylic, ceramic, wood (often bamboo) or glass, bongs can also be fabricated from materials as diverse as pykrete or even from household objects such as an empty water bottles and a pen. Some people even make bongs out of fruits and vegetables that are discarded after use.

Carburetor

A diagram of a carburetor hole bong. Note the hole on the left.

Some bongs have a small hole, called a carburetor or carb, choke, clutch, shotty, shotgun-hole, rush-hole, air-hole or even just finger-hole, in the chamber across from the stem. This is simply a valve that the user places his/her finger over when inhaling, allowing the chamber to fill up with smoke. The user releases the carburetor, then he/she is no longer having to pull the smoke through the downpipe and water so it is easier or more relaxing to smoke. The fresh air mixes with the smoke and forces the smoke into the user's lungs more rapidly than could be achieved through normal inhalation. Carburetor hole bongs use a hole to release the vacuum which allows air into the chamber. This has the effect of clearing the chamber of the smoke which is inhaled into the lungs. This method prevents the need to fill the chamber with carbon dioxide to clear the smoke before it becomes stale. They are easy to construct and often used in home-made bongs.

Slide

A diagram of a slide shaft bong. The black lines represent a removable stem.

Slide bongs have two piece stems. One piece with larger diameter is attached to the chamber (known as the female). The other piece is attached to the bowl, and having a smaller diameter, slides into the first piece (known as the male). To "clear", the user removes the second piece allowing air into the chamber. Two types of slides exist. The first is the cheaper and more common method of the seal being made with a rubber O ring. The superior way is known as "glass-on-glass." Glass-on-glass slides are characterized by both the male and female sides of the slide being made of rough glass.

Variations

Ice bong

A bong with dimples to hold ice in the upper chamber.

One of the most common varieties is the ice bong, which is a sub variety of a slide or carburetor bong. These are typically made of glass or acrylic, like the one to the left. Ice is placed in a twist or ice trap in the neck. This has the effect of cooling the smoke when the user comes to inhaling. These bongs are typically bright colors and are popular due to the durability, ease of use, and controllability. They usually have carburetor holes on the opposite side to the bowl or slightly to the left or right of that position. These tend to have larger chambers than other bong varieties, as ice is used rarely in smaller bongs.

Bubbler

A bubbler is a small bong where the stem is internal and the bowl is at the very top. A majority of the bong is enclosed with only a hole in the side to act as the carburetor and the hole the smoke will exit on its way to the user. These operate very much like a pipe since their internal chamber is so small but they have identical parts to a common bong. They are considered more pleasant to smoke out of than a regular pipe because the smoke is cooled through the water and filtered. They also do not produce the characteristic "chugging" sound of bongs when the smoke is inhaled, which makes them quieter and more desirable for those who need to conceal their use.

Vaporizer-bong

A vapor-bong for use with medicinal herbs recommended by a physician to prevent blindness.

A vaporizer-bong, or "vapor-bong," is the use of a box type vaporizer or heat gun and a bong connected via a special glass attachment. The vapor goes through the attachment, filters through the water, and may pass through a layer of ice, creating an ice-cold, vaporized hit of herbal material.

Shottie

A shottie, also called a pull-through, shotty or popper, is made out of a plastic bottle and is similar to a bong, but replaces the bowl and stem with a tube, which may be used alone or with the aid of "bullets". In this context, bullet refers to a small tubular piece of metal of slightly smaller diameter than the shottie tube, with a ring of metal of the same diameter as the shottie tube affixed to prevent the bullet becoming lodged in the shottie tube. First, a small piece of tobacco is placed into the end of the tube or bullet. This can be achieved either by inserting a cigarette and cutting it so a thin slice remains in the tube, or by making a small disc or ball of tobacco to fit the tube. The tube or bullet is then stamped into a patch of finely ground hash or herb. The shottie is then smoked by gently pulling so that the substance is lit, then filling the chamber slowly- this is sometimes referred to as "brewing" the shottie, and then inhaling violently to pull the ash and unburnt tobacco ball into the water.

Gravity bong

Main article: Gravity bong

A pictorial diagram of how gravity bongs (bucket bongs) operate.

A Gravity bong (also known as gravs, Turbo, hydros, buckets, buckies, buckos, g-bongs, GBs,) does not necessarily filter the smoke through water but instead uses water to generate a slow and constant vacuum in the chamber. This offers the same benefit of delivering a concentrated charge of smoke to the user but is much more effective at making the smoke denser, thereby causing more chemicals to be absorbed. This type of bong can also be called a waterfall bong. The principle is the same, but instead of having the bottom completely removed a small capped-off hole is cut on the side. This allows you to fill it up with water and remove the cover of the hole when you want the vacuum. This form of the gravity bong has the benefit of not letting all the smoke out by pressing down since you have to inhale the smoke from the top.

Cultural references

• A case involving a high school student in Juneau, Alaska who was suspended for holding a sign that said "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" across from his school during a winter Olympics torch relay contested that his 1st amendment rights had been violated, lost in the U.S. Supreme Court.^[9]
• In the Simpsons episode "The Way We Was" (7F12), Homer and Marge recount the story of how they met. At their prom, Principal Dondelinger works the door and chaperons the prom. At the door, a student tries to enter with a bong, Dondelinger says "Wait a second, is that a bong?" The student then points at his throat and Dondelinger replies, "You have asthma? All right. Move along." ^[10]

• In the Futurama episode S03E13 "Bendin' In the Wind," Fry brings a 1000-year old VW microbus back to Planet Express. As he shows the crew the vehicle, Professor Farnsworth asks where the device to slow and speed the passage of time is. Fry tells him that it is under the seat. (Referring to a bong) ^[11]
• In The Simpsons Movie, as a bomb is about to explode and blow up Springfield, the camera pans into a 5 second shot of Otto hitting a bong. ^[12]

References