Study Says Bongs Create More Secondhand Smoke Risk Than Cigarettes

Put down the bong — if you’re around vulnerable populations anyway. Researchers at UC Berkeley say these water pipes produce more secondhand smoke than cigarettes.

Although many people assume cannabis smoke is relatively safe to breathe, “cannabis smoke has several hundred toxic chemicals, carcinogens, and fine particulate matter, many at higher concentrations than tobacco smoke,” the study notes. That’s troubling because the concentrations of fine particulate matter were four times greater from a bong than the concentrations created from a tobacco cigarette or hookah pipe.

The researchers measured concentrations of particulate matter before, during and after smoking sessions of 90 to 180 minutes. All doors and windows were closed.

Read the study here.