So, you have almost certainly encountered a bong before, or at least you have seen them in movies, or on the shelves of your local smoke shop. But, aside from a certain reputation they have in regards to dry herbs, you probably don’t know that much about them unless you have used one yourself. Did you know that they were primarily invented for tobacco in the middle east and India shortly after tobacco was brought from the New World? Not unlike hookahs, they were a cleaner approach to tobacco consumption, failed to mention a little more sophisticated.
Today, you probably don’t even think of using tobacco with one of these, but in many parts of the world, they are still a very popular way to do this. But, before we get into the advantages of using a bong, let’s talk about how they work.
In their simplest form, they are essentially a bottle with a large opening at the top, and opening on the side, and usually a smaller opening closer to the top known as a carb. The letter is used to regulate some resistance to airflow, giving you some control over the smoke. A straight chamber goes diagonally into the larger opening on the side, connected to which is a small bowl and screen. This bowl is where the tobacco is placed, of course. The main body is then filled with water above the line where the horizontal straight chamber rests on the bottom.
Following this, a user will pull through the large top opening, drawing the smoke through the water. This makes a distinct, loud bubbling sound, after which point the smoke fills the chamber, allowing the user to imbibe it at their leisure.
The most immediate and obvious advantage is that water is an excellent filter to clean things out, and it removes most of the toxic elements in tobacco smoke, such as ash and various combustion-byproduct carcinogens. It also alters the texture and nature of the smoke, cooling it and adding some humidity to it. It’s not as dry, harsh nor hot as cigarette or pipe smoke, and is much cleaner due to this water filtration process.
Many bong aficionados also do things like adding ice to the water, or even flavoring, which in turn flavors the smoke and some interesting ways. Some people put spirits in the water such as vodka, schnapps or the like, adding a distinct flavor as well as a mildly intoxicating aspect to the smoke.
Sound intriguing? Modern designs are far more advanced than the most basic approach, offering portability, artistic expression and much more. The best place to get a bong is from Shisha Glass which is Australia’s the bong shop to go to for great deals and a wide variety. Informed Associates will be very happy to guide the uninitiated into finding the right bong for them, as they have a passion for these devices and are happy to share it with the world.
