Toxic air pollutants from smoking cannabis with a bong are 4 times worse than cigarettes, study finds

You’ve got heard in regards to the risks of secondhand cigarette smoke, however what about secondhand bong smoke?

The haze after a bubbly bong hit could seem innocent, however a brand new research printed Wednesday in JAMA Community Open discovered bystanders could also be inhaling air pollution at concentrations greater than twice federal air high quality limits.

Researchers on the College of California, Berkeley, measured fantastic particulate matter (PM2.5) in a real-world setting the place a bunch of younger adults socially smoked hashish with a bong for 2 hours in an strange family lounge. An aerosol monitor was positioned the place a nonsmoker would possibly sit, recording PM2.5 ranges earlier than, throughout and after eight classes.

They discovered house hashish bong smoking considerably elevated PM2.5 from background ranges by not less than 100-fold. Throughout the first quarter-hour of smoking, PM2.5 concentrations surpassed air high quality ranges deemed secure by the Environmental Safety Company.

“There’s detrimental attitudes to secondhand tobacco smoke however not likely to secondhand hashish smoke,” stated lead research writer Patton Nguyen, an industrial hygienist and a graduate of UC Berkeley Faculty of Public Well being. “What we would like this research to do is admittedly elucidate and assist folks perceive that there are public well being considerations.”

High quality particulate matter, or PM2.5, are tiny particles within the air that may journey deep into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs and impacting their perform. Some research counsel long run publicity to PM2.5 could also be linked to lung and coronary heart illnesses.

Research authors stated PM2.5 concentrations from hashish bong smoking had been not less than 4 instances better than concentrations from secondhand tobacco smoke from cigarettes or hookah present in earlier research.

Though well being consultants say the findings are noteworthy, extra analysis is required earlier than conclusions may be made about smoking marijuana with a bong versus smoking tobacco as researchers didn’t management how a lot pot was smoked within the research.

“There’s little or no analysis on this space,” stated Dr. Silvia Martins, professor of epidemiology and director of the Substance Use Epidemiology Unit at Columbia College Mailman Faculty of Public Well being. “This (research) is without doubt one of the first in a managed atmosphere.”

Researchers observe PM2.5 concentrations additionally took a very long time to return to pre-smoking ranges. In a single session, ranges remained at greater than 10 instances the unique focus 12 hours after the group stopped smoking.

This means folks coming into a house hours after a bong session might nonetheless be affected by secondhand smoke.

“It will probably truly have an effect on the well being of youngsters who’re close by or different folks in fairly critical methods,” stated corresponding writer Katharine Hammond, a professor at UC Berkeley Faculty of Public Well being. “We have to get up to that.”

Though leisure hashish use is perceived by some as a innocent previous time, Hammond and Nguyen say no stage of poisons and air pollution in hashish smoke is taken into account secure.

“There are potential exposures to excessive concentrations of poisons and these toxins are related to detrimental or antagonistic well being results,” Nguyen stated. “We actually should be aware that nonsmokers current may be uncovered.”

Home windows and doorways had been closed all through the research however he says future analysis will have a look at how air flow performs a job in PM2.5 publicity from hashish smoke.

He additionally plans to publish extra knowledge from the identical research that measured different dangerous chemical substances and carcinogens from secondhand bong smoke.

“Our job as scientists actually is to launch this unbiased data to assist inform the general public,” Nguyen stated. “The massive take-home message is secondhand hashish smoke is just not secure and other people’s public perceptions needs to be addressed.”

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