Is Smoking Out of Aluminum Foil Dangerous?
Among those who smoke drugs, it is a fairly common practice for them to smoke out of aluminum. Crack, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamines are all drugs that people smoke through aluminum. So what damage does aluminum cause when it is used to smoke through, if any?
A popular idea is that aluminum causes Alzheimer's through ingestion, which is what many point to as a danger of smoking through aluminum. It is unclear how damaging smoking out of aluminum is when it comes to Alzheimer's. However, according to the Alzheimer's Association, aluminum has been shown to have no correlation to the disease.
“During the 1960s and 1970s, aluminum emerged as a possible suspect in Alzheimer’s. This suspicion led to concern about exposure to aluminum through everyday sources such as pots and pans, beverage cans, antacids, and antiperspirants. Since then, studies have failed to confirm any role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer’s. Experts today focus on other areas of research, and few believe that everyday sources of aluminum pose any threat.”—Alzheimer's Association
Alright, so what other dangers are there in perhaps the other chemicals used to coat aluminum foil? The current consensus is that smoking out of aluminum is not clear to have caused any more health threats than smoking in general.
Basically, whatever you are smoking out of the aluminum is way more damaging to your body than the aluminum itself. In a section called “Ask a Professor” in The Wesleyan Argus, a university publication, one professor had this to say.
“Perhaps you’re worried that the short-term memory loss, confusion, and paranoia are due to the aluminum? It’s not likely. Aluminum is a reactive metal and on exposure to the atmosphere, it quickly forms a surface layer of aluminum oxide, which protects the underlying metal from further reaction. Any aluminum that winds up in the smoke would be in the form of this oxide. There is little data on aluminum oxide toxicity, but it appears to be about as toxic as other fine particulates. Additionally, many recent studies have indicated that the proposed link between Alzheimer’s disease and aluminum is weak or nonexistent. There are, of course, more serious short- and long-term health effects linked to smoking in general, and marijuana smoking in particular, which have been reported.”—Wesleyan Argus
In conclusion, if you are a parent and you find burnt aluminum, it may be a sign your loved one is using. The aluminum they are using is less damaging to their health than what they are smoking out of it. If you are unsure of what they may be smoking, look over our signs of drug abuse pages. If you need more information, give us a call, we are more than willing to help.
