The following information is NOT printed on this postcard: A bong (also water pipe) is a smoking device, generally used to smoke cannabis, tobacco, or other substances. The construction of a bong is similar to a hookah. The functions of bongs and hookahs are analogous, as they produce similar results. A bong may be constructed from any air- and water-tight vessel by adding a screened bowl and stem apparatus (a slide). The word bong is an adaptation of the Thai word baung, a cylindrical wooden tube, pipe, or container cut from bamboo, and which also refers to the bong used for smoking. Bongs have been in use by the Hmong, in Laos and Thailand, for centuries. Wish we could still get the do-it-yourself book "Build This Bong", but it is now out-of-print.