[ Post a Response | The Sublime Desire of Cigarette Smoking ]
Posted by vesperae
on March 31, 2008, 9:48 pm, in reply to "Re: I'd be a little careful if I were you (valid point, sir)"
You're way ahead of me Nick! 
I was going to suggest Googling "glass tubing." I just did this and turned up a whole bunch of scientific equipment suppliers, at least a few of which ought to be willing to sell to private consumers via online ordering; you might have to produce a government issued ID, however, given the current meth lab paranoia.
And as you've already suggested, another simple approach might be to visit a head shop and peruse their selection of glass bongs and pipes, since these are fairly common and fairly inexpensive items to locate, and which would also provide the experience of being able to visualize the smoke before it is inhaled.
Glass also has the advantage of being easily cleaned, if the user wants to clean it, that is... 
I agree that glass would be the safest material to use for the purpose that Benjamin wants, but I would have to imagine that most polymers used in drinking straws, which are similar or identical to those used in hot / microwavable food packaging, should add little that is any more toxic than what is already found in abundance in cigarette smoke.
But I can certainly imagine that non-food grade packaging plastics could easily yeild all sorts of toxic by products when exposed to the heated gases in cigarette smoke, as you suggest.
(I have a minor in Chemistry with my first college degree in Biology, BTW.)
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