Home-made smoking devices: what are these strange contraptions, and are they safe? People who smoke seldom think about the damage to their lungs. After you have smoked through a pipe for a period of time, check out the black tar and goop that builds up and eventually plugs up your pipe.

Most young people are unable to afford proper commercial smoking devices like bongs and water pipes that can cost hundreds. Instead, young people have developed a whole range of inventive alternatives.

Worst alternative: one of the easiest and most common ones is cheap and gets the job done, but is in our opinion also the most

dangerous. The pop or beer can is quickly converted to a smoking device with a few pinches and a pin. Along with whatever cannabis he places in the indentation, the smoker is treated to heated aluminum commonly associated with later onset of Alzheimers, as well as an array of chemicals from the burning paint.

Better: The “Third Lung” involves the use of a 2 l plastic pop bottle and a small plastic shopping bag (see picture). This system offers a cleaner method, cooling the smoke in the chamber and delivering an immediate and hard-hitting toke. The downside of this device is the potential damage to the lungs by the greedy who take too large a hit and can burn and scar their lungs.

Better yet: The “Gravity Bong” (see picture) is a 2 l plastic pop bottle with the bottom cut out, and a 4 l icecream bucket with water in it. The gravity draws the smoke towards the water, cooling it at the same time. Of course the well-rolled joint - using a finer hemp paper, not a “horse blanket” - is still probably the simplest and safest alternative, at least until you get down to the black and gooey roach. Lots of young people smoke pot and we would like to offer some sage advice from two young people who know: Save your tokes for the weekends and smoke safe.

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