A bong is a device that uses water to filter and cool the smoke from burning herb or tobacco. Bongs are popular among smokers who want a smoother and cleaner experience than joints, blunts, or pipes. But how does a bong work exactly? What are the different types of bongs? And what are the benefits and risks of using a bong? In this blog post, we will answer these questions and more.
The Science Behind Bongs
A bong works by creating a vacuum that sucks the smoke from the bowl into the water chamber. The smoke then bubbles and diffuses through the water, which removes some of the contaminants and makes the smoke smoother. The user can then inhale the smoke from the mouthpiece.
The water in a bong serves two main purposes: filtration and cooling. Filtration refers to the process of trapping some of the harmful substances in the smoke, such as ash, tar, and carcinogens. Cooling refers to the process of lowering the temperature of the smoke, which reduces the irritation and damage to the lungs and throat.
Some bongs also have additional features that enhance the filtration and cooling effects, such as percolators, ice catchers, and ash catchers. Percolators are devices that create more bubbles and increase the surface area of the smoke in contact with water. Ice catchers are notches that hold ice cubes in the neck of the bong, which further cools down the smoke. Ash catchers are attachments that prevent ash from entering the water chamber, which keeps the water cleaner.
The Different Types of Bongs
Bongs come in various shapes, sizes, materials, and designs. Some of the most common types of bongs are:
- Standard bongs: These are simple bongs that consist of a bowl, a stem, a chamber, and a mouthpiece. They can be made from glass, wood, plastic, metal, or ceramic. They are easy to use and clean.
- Gravity bongs: These are homemade bongs that use gravity to pull the smoke into a large container filled with water. They can be made from plastic bottles, buckets, or other household items. They produce very potent hits but are not very smooth or healthy.
- Bubblers: These are small bongs that combine the portability of pipes with the water filtration of bongs. They have a bowl attached to a stem that goes into a water chamber. They are ideal for discreet and on-the-go smoking.
- Beaker bongs: These are bongs that have a beaker-shaped base that holds more water than standard bongs. They offer more stability and smoother hits than straight-tube bongs.
- Straight-tube bongs: These are bongs that have a straight cylindrical shape that goes from the bowl to the mouthpiece. They offer less drag and more airflow than beaker bongs but are less stable and harsher on the lungs.
- Multi-chamber bongs: These are bongs that have two or more chambers connected by tubes. The smoke passes through multiple water chambers before reaching the mouthpiece. They offer more filtration and cooling than single-chamber bongs but are more complex and difficult to clean.
The Benefits and Risks of Bongs
Bongs have some advantages and disadvantages compared to other methods of smoking herb or tobacco. Some of the benefits are:
- Bongs produce smoother and creamier smoke than joints, blunts, or pipes, which makes them more enjoyable and less harsh on the lungs and throat.
- Bongs filter out some of the harmful substances in the smoke, such as ash, tar, and carcinogens, which may reduce some of the health risks associated with smoking.
- Bongs allow you to get bigger and more potent hits than joints, blunts, or pipes, which may enhance your smoking experience and save you some herb or tobacco.
Some of the risks are:
- Bongs still expose you to smoke, which is harmful to your lung health regardless of what you’re smoking. Smoke contains many toxic chemicals that can cause inflammation, irritation, scarring, damage, and cancer in your lungs.
- Bongs can make you overdo it when smoking herb or tobacco because they produce very strong hits that can
