Asbestos pipe isn't necessarily as dangerous as it sounds. I don't know how it reacts with fire (other than not burning), but asbestos in itself isn't dangerous - it's only when you breathe the dust that it becomes a problem.

The entire exterior sheathing of my house is asbestos. I'm literally sitting inside an asbestos box right now.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 50 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The mechanics of smoking a pipe involve scraping accumulated ash from the bowl and scowering the stem. There is zero chance this thing isn't insanely dangerous to smoke.

[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 32 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

This.

It's a case of " A little knowledge is a dangerous thing " combined with " The difference between theory and practice, is that in theory there is no difference between theory and practice "

If you only know "asbestos is bad!" this is obvs dangerous
If you know "inhaling asbestos fibers is bad" this is maybe NBD
If you've ever smoked a pipe often enough to clean it, this is obvs dangerous

(and besides smoking is pre-industrial barbaric; vaping is an elegant weapon for a more civilized age)

[–] WanderingThoughts@europe.pub 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The difference between theory and practice, is that in theory there is no difference between theory and practice

It's why with robot training, they add small random variations in the simulation otherwise things don't work in practice.

[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 1 points 6 days ago

... to more closely match what biological brains experience as they learn in the noisy often-chaotic real physical world

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I'm stealing that theory and practice quote. That's great.

[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 2 points 6 days ago

I stole it too, enough decades ago that I forget who I heard it from. I think it may have been an old grizzled Chem Engineering professor my first semester of college

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Vaping is also horrible for your health, but with different poisons.

[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 3 points 6 days ago

Looks like you're basically right. It's much better than smoking, but not as good as fresh air. Quick summary:

Inflammatory Pathways: A 2024 study in the American Journal of Physiology found that regulated cannabis aerosol still induces transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in lung cells. It specifically affects lipid biosynthesis and oxidative stress responses, which are involved in lung repair and function.

Reduced Burden vs. Smoking: Recent human studies (e.g., UC Davis, 2025) indicate that the inflammatory markers in the breath of vapers are significantly lower than those of tobacco or marijuana smokers. Vaping appears to sit in a "middle ground"—cleaner than smoke, but more reactive than non-use.

Fine Particulates: Regulated vapes still produce PM2.5 (ultrafine particulate matter) that can penetrate deep into lung tissue, potentially triggering cardiovascular or respiratory irritation over time.

[–] MunkyNutts@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

It is the dust or small fibers that are inhaled that are problematic, they scar lung tissue and aren't easily expelled or at all by the body. Asbestos is a natural silicate mineral and was used as a fire retardant since it doesn't burn and withstands high temps.

[–] Madison420@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

Not was, still is. Lots of industrial furnaces still use asbestos insulation it's just not a residential use.

[–] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 days ago

Asbestos pipe isn't necessarily as dangerous as it sounds. I don't know how it reacts with fire.

You should have just started with the later.

There's always a non zero chance you're going to breathe in some asbestos as the protective layer breaks down. And it will breakdown one way or the other.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 2 points 6 days ago

Better hope you don't get any movement

[–] RumorsOfLove@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 days ago

Flame retardant good

[–] AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 days ago

Cancer? Yeah, you're probably the only one with a strong desire to try it out.