# Bongs (a scientific question that will not require "contributing to a minor") **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364 "2003-05-10T19:13:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/1 "2003-05-10T19:13:12Z")
why is it that, even though i’ve read on the internet that bong smoke is less damaging than joint/blunt smoke, bongs make you cough more and hurt your throat worse? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/2 "2003-05-10T19:21:00Z")
The water filters out some of the nasty stuff. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/3 "2003-05-10T19:33:45Z")
Googling “bong cough more” reveals that some bong designs can collect stale smoke, which makes you cough. ---
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/4 "2003-05-10T19:35:40Z")
eew! yeah, that kinda figures since i’ve heard how nasty bong water is. my sister’s friends used to dare each other to drink it after a week. ---
**Author:** ![fishcrawford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/85f322/32.png) [@fishcrawford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishcrawford)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/5 "2003-05-10T19:39:35Z")
To stop the smoke from hurting ones lungs, all that is needed is ice. This will make the hit so smooth you won’t even know you have smoke in your lungs. Tobacco of course. ---
**Author:** ![Logical\_Phallacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Logical\_Phallacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logical_Phallacy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/6 "2003-05-10T20:04:45Z")
My simple answer: You get MUCH more smoke in with the average bong than with the average joint. Consider the surface area of _substance of choice_ exposed in a joint versus the bowl of a bong. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/7 "2003-05-10T20:19:30Z")
Here, when doing shisha, which is flavoured tobacco smoked through a big colourful Arabic-style water pipe, the restaurant attendant sets it up first so it is perfect for the customer, in terms of amount of heat, and smoke and stuff. (As I understand it from friends, having only seen them do it, not personally inhaled). The attendant spends quite a while moving small pieces of hot charcoal around the tinfoil above the tobacco, so there is just the right amount of heat. ---
**Author:** ![FudgeNugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@FudgeNugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FudgeNugget)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/8 "2003-05-11T00:29:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fishcrawford \* > \*\*To stop the smoke from hurting ones lungs, all that is needed is ice. This will make the hit so smooth you won’t even know you have smoke in your lungs. Tobacco of course. \*\* You can also have boiling/steaming bong water, instead of ice. ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/9 "2003-05-11T02:57:13Z")
Or, in a fancy two-chamber waterpipe, you can put boiling water in the first, then ice-cold water in the second. It may make for a cleaner hit, but to drag as much into your lungs as possible will still irritate. You get that big hit into your lungs. You hold it for a couple of seconds, then cough for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/10 "2003-05-11T15:11:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Road Rash \* > \*\*Or, in a fancy two-chamber waterpipe, you can put boiling water in the first, then ice-cold water in the second. \*\* hmm… maybe if the two mixed just the right way, you’d get a mini tornadoe in there, even when no one was hitting it. that would would be pretty awesome. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bongs-a-scientific-question-that-will-not-require-contributing-to-a-minor/174364/11 "2003-05-11T17:57:44Z")
We seem to be veering into giving tips about how to make your drug using experience as pleasant as possible rather than discussing physiology per se, so I’ll close this thread. bibliophage moderator GQ