NEWS: Bong ban will harm cannabis smokers, users and experts say

TORY SHEPHERD, HEALTH REPORTER

April 11, 2008 12:10pm

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."

Meanwhile, people are flooding online forums to discuss the new laws.

Many cannabis smokers say they will simply make their own pipes from household goods.

Jesekah of Adelaide said bongs should not be banned.

"People will just make their own... and in most cases that will involve smoking through plastic bottles... which is obviously very unhealthy," she said.

"The government would already know this."



Parliament bans the bong

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.

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