Smoking tea? You might wonder who comes up with such a crazy idea? Whatever you think, smoking tea has become quite a phenomena. There’s lots of active discussions online and this topic even made it to the Time Magazine.
So what’s really the deal? Why is the idea of smoking tea so attractive. As human beings all like the idea of trying out new things. So if you're a smoker, the idea of cigarettes made from tea leaves, will catch your attention.
What vendors of tea cigs advocate is that they don’t contain nicotine. Sellers are trying to market them as a cigarettes that can help you quit smoking.
Below the most frequently asked questions regarding this topic.
Can you smoke tea?
In theory yes. Tea leaves are dried and therefore the water content is low, making them easy to rol into cigarettes.
What’s the best tea to smoke?
Generally, more oxidised teas contain less water (oolong, black, and pu erh) and therefore they’re more suitable to burn.
Can you also smoke green tea?
Green tea (and white tea) contain more water, and therefore burn less well. Smoking green tea and white tea is still possible though.
How to smoke tea?
Smoking tea is similar to smoking normal cigarettes. Simply roll up some loose tea or put the tea into a pipe. Can you smoke tea bags? Yes sure. In that case, cut open the tea bags and follow the same procedure.
Do people in China smoke tea?
Though tea itself originates from China, it’s rare for Chinese to smoke tea. When searching the Chinese eCommerce platforms you’ll find some tea cigs, but they generally have very low monthly sales figures. So though, they are produced in China, it is mainly meant for export to the Western market. Smoking tea isn't really a thing in China.
Should I quit smoking normal cigarettes and switch to tea cigarettes for health?
The health benefits of drinking tea are widely researched and generally considered to be healthy when you don’t over consume. This can’t be said for smoking tea. Since there are no research publications regarding this topic, you should consider smoking tea to be more risky than smoking cigarettes simply because the effects are unknown. What is also important to note that the industry isn't as tightly regulated and monitored relative to normal cigarettes.
Is smoking tea bad for you?
As said, there’s no existing research regarding the health benefits or risks. That said, it’s generally safe to assume that smoking any dried herb or leaf is bad for you. Smoke is smoke and it contains “carbon monoxide” that are bad for your lungs. It infiltrates your red blood cells, which should be taking in oxygen instead of smoke. It’s pretty much common sense that our lungs don’t like any thing but fresh unpolluted air.
Smoking tea effects: does smoking tea get you high?
There’s no official report regarding this question. On online forums, some tea smokers report that it makes them feel light-headed and that the scent of tea is still present when smoked.
Is smoking tea addictive?
Given that tea cigarettes don’t contain nicotine (the chemical compound that makes normal cigarettes addictive) it’s generally not considered to be addictive. However, even if it was, why would you replace one bad addiction with another. Why not instead get addicted to drinking tea, which is a healthy addiction!