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Government's bong ban 'will harm cannabis smokers'
4/11/08|News.com| by Tory Shepherd

THE Rann Government's ban on bongs will not stop drug use and could have dangerous flow-on effects on the health of pot smokers, according to users and experts.

The State Government last night passed tough new laws so anyone selling cannabis bongs or drug implements will face fines of up to $50,000 or two years in jail.

The laws cover the sale of implements such as hookahs, bongs, cocaine kits and pipes used to smoke deadly crystal methamphetamine, otherwise known as ice.

One local drug expert, pharmacology associate professor Rodney Irvine, said users will seek other ways to inhale smoke and that could be more dangerous.

"When you close one loophole another one emerges, a different pattern of use emerges," he said

"They'll make them out of anything, obviously.

"I would say that there's a possibility those alternative homemade ones will have some problems."
Dr Irvine said smoking through a bong or water pipe was probably slightly less dangerous than using joints or pipes.

"Intuitively, I would say that smoking anything through a water pipe is a better option than smoking it in a joint or a spliff," he said.

"If you're smoking tobacco through a water pipe you've got cooler smoke. If there's cooler smoke, there are less volatile substances, therefore less tar."

Many cannabis smokers said they would simply make their own pipes from household goods.

SA Attorney-General Michael Atkinson said the legislation - introduced by independent MLC Ann Bressington - responded to the widespread public concern that paraphernalia intended for use with illicit drugs was freely available in South Australia.

"The Rann Labor Government has banned the bong,'' he said.

"Commercial outlets retailing drug paraphernalia in South Australia will now either have to shut up shop, as Smoke Signals at No. 34 Hindley Street has done, or find another line of business.''

Until now, courts had to establish, beyond reasonable doubt, that the person in possession of the equipment intended to use it in connection with preparing or consuming an illegal drug.

"To my knowledge just a handful of cases have been brought against commercial outlets selling drug paraphernalia because of the difficulty of proving that the seller intended the equipment be used in connection with preparing or consuming an illicit drug," Mr Atkinson said.

 

Buzzby

This should be a boon to the plumbing supply departments in Australian hardware stores.

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Lit_Match

I'm sure the Ran Labor Government is thinking more along the lines that this will force cannabis users to give up their habit, just like they made crime disappear when they banned guns.

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Donation links to NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) | MPP (Marijuana Policy Project)

Buzzby

I'm thinking of a game show in which you put a number of household objects in front of a stoner and time how long it takes him to turn them into a smoking device.

sam-adamas

In AUS it's very uncommon to find someone with a bought smoking impliment.

Most people prefer the good ol' ice break bottle and hose.

 

Buzzby

What's an "ice break bottle"? How does one create a smoking implement out of one (with a hose)?

SpiralArchitect

Couldn't you just order one on the internet easily enough?

Besides, it's not us potheads have the tactic of stoner ingenuity. I bet everyone has made a smoking device, and probably a bong, out of household products.

Besides, don't Australians have didgeridoos?

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FunkySkunky

Hahaha that's exactly what I thought of when I saw the bong ban.... "Hmm, how about a digiridoo?" Not to mention you kill three birds with one stone: a lesson in culture, a lesson in music and a ridiculously cool digiri-bong. Bahaha

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SpiralArchitect

Not to mention you get to wear cool Marijuana regalia in the process!

Majorguns420

This sounds like a "hit" to me!! Reality TV at its finest. There could be 3 judges like American Idol, and the winner gets a elbo of some dank. Then the audiance could toke up with the devices at the end, and take home some samples.