Butane Health Effects

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butane

Citations from the article:

[1] Ramsey J, Anderson HR, Bloor K, et al. An introduction to the practice, prevalence and chemical toxicology of volatile substance abuse. Hum Toxicol 1989;8:261–9
Trends in death Associated with Abuse of Volatile Substances 1971-2004

[2] Field-Smith M, Bland JM, Taylor JC, et al., Department of Public Health Sciences. London: St George’s Medical School

[3] Bass M. Sudden sniffing death. JAMA 1970;212:2075–9

 

you could always invest into some beeline, vape, soldering iron

 

Ive been thinking about getting some Beeline string.

Do you just light the line with a lighter every time you take a hit.

 

I wouldn't be too concerned about it. It's not like you have the lighter going throughout the entire hit, just enough to get it cherried. The only time when it's probably not good is when your taking a resin hit and your basically just inhaling lighter fluid and a little dirty old smoke lol.

 

Even if your not holding the flame for long, i still think this is one of the most harmful aspects of smoking. I use beeline pretty much always when i smoke, anymore when i take a hit with a lighter my throat feels completely different and constricted. Plus for $3 a pack why the hell not?? or go a step farther and vape that shit.

 

Those lighters at the gas station that are cheaper than even bics are butane too right?

 

You guys have to remember that when you light the ligher, a very large majority of the gas is being burnt off, thus no harmful gas goes into your lungs, or a very very small amount does.

 

Sounds like the knowledgable answer. I would just say fuck it and blame any problems further down the road on cigarettes and alcohol.

 

I'm curious about this as well. I don't like packing my bowls too big because I feel like the more that you have to light them, the more butane gets into the weed and the worse it is for you to inhale.

 

However, I believe that if using butane lighters was a real danger then it would be more publicized, but who knows.

 

Butane is hardly harmful as long as a flame is being produced. Where the danger comes in, is if you are inhaling butane from an unlit lighter.

 

Do you people really think that butane is that harmful? at least you're not lighting your bowls with a zippo, or a sulfur filled match

 

hmm,
perhaps you didn't pay enough attention in your chemistry class..

so here's a refresher.

when matter is burned, it is a chemical change,
which releases new gasses.

so even though you may not be inhaling butane directly you're inhaling the resulting gasses from it being burned, which may/may not be worse than just the butane, but still bad.


in the famous words of Hank Hill... "butane is a bastard gas"

i suggest soldering irons or magnifying glasses if you don't want to buy a vape.

 

when butane combusts, it lets off CO2 and H20. both are harmless.

 

BINGO !!!

As long as the lighter is lit when you holding down that button, it's all good.

 

I always flick away from the bowl and bring the flame to the green.

With joints/blunts, I like to light the end and let it burn to the green without using the lighter.

 

Yes, but there'll always be someone who sparks the lighter while it's right on the end of the joint, while they're already inhaling.

"Shit man, diziz sum gud shit!!!11 lolol"
"Actually, that's butane. Mind if I take a hefty life insurance policy out for you, payable to me?"

 

Excuse the rare double post.

I think I can clear this up.

In my first post above, I cited sources that clearly show that butane is harmful when inhaled. User e38 above correctly stated that butane produces carbon dioxide and water when combusted. However, he/she incorrectly stated that both were harmless. This is not the case.

"Prolonged exposure to moderate concentrations [of CO2] can cause acidosis and adverse effects on calcium phosphorus metabolism resulting in increased calcium deposits in soft tissue. Carbon dioxide is toxic to the heart and causes diminished contractile force.

Toxicity and its effects increase with the concentration of CO2, here given in volume percent of CO2 in the air:

* 1%, as can occur in a crowded auditorium with poor ventilation, can cause drowsiness with prolonged exposure.
* At 2% it is mildly narcotic and causes increased blood pressure and pulse rate, and causes reduced hearing.
* At about 5% it causes stimulation of the respiratory centre, dizziness, confusion and difficulty in breathing accompanied by headache and shortness of breath.
* At about 8% it causes headache, sweating, dim vision, tremor and loss of consciousness after exposure for between five and ten minutes."

Source: Davidson, Clive. 7 February 2003. "Marine Notice: Carbon Dioxide: Health Hazard". Australian Maritime Safety Authority. (from wikipedia)

So while using a lighter probably won't kill you, just know those chemicals you're inhaling aren't exactly harmless.

 

This is why I use a torch lighter. When held at 4+ inches away from the bowl, it still cherries the top of the bowl completely. Either that or my friends bee-line organic hemp wick thing.

Can you get those at basically any head shop?