dopetalk
Core Topics => Substance Usage, Management, User Experiences etc. => Topic started by: DreamerOnTheRun on March 02, 2016, 11:15:23 AM
-
Totally get how/why a legit wheel filter is ideal. But I pride myself on USUALLY being able to give my friends good advice in harm reduction when asked a question or given what-if scenarios. One question I'm ashamed to not know the answer to is whether it's better to use cotton from a (unused) cigarette filter or a q-tip. I've def heard that one is sterilized and one isn't, I've also heard that it's the cig filters that are and not the q-tip (which makes no sense to me btw, in common sense, you'd think the thing used for medical purposes would be VS the cancer causing drug) but truth is I'm not sure.
Anyone wanna school me, so I can then school others?
-
Cig filters fibers all go one way and don't filter as well. I also believe they aren't cotton but a fiber glass, I could be wrong there though. Always use cotton ball pieces or qtips.
-
Yes, generally cotton from a q-tip is going to be safer than a cigarette filter. Although the "cigarette filters contain fiberglass" notion is a myth. In any case, its better to use an unused cigarette filter than nothing at all, and the safety of either can be compromised if they arent kept clean and dry until right before use.
So if you have access to both, use the q-tip cotton. Besides, you're gonna want that cigarette for after you do your shot ;)
-
Gotcha, these were my thoughts exactly. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't giving out bad advice.
-
i have heard horror stories from people filtering with USED cigarette filters ... they said that they got very ill, as you'd imagine.
Q-tips (or Cotton Buds, as we call them) are the best, i reckon.
some people as nuts when it comes to their own personal IV HR practices.
-
Early on I heard & bought the glass fiber bit (& I've always rolled my smokes) so I never tried.
NOT HARM REDUCTION WHATSOEVER but if one is set on doing it & has nothing at hand I've boiled pocket lint in plain water more than a few times.
-
Cig filters fibers all go one way and don't filter as well. I also believe they aren't cotton but a fiber glass, I could be wrong there though. Always use cotton ball pieces or qtips.
They are cellulose acetate in fact. A synthetic plastic. It could be a fiber glass material, but I'm not going to google it. edit: googled it. it is. this stuff:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Ecovata.jpg)
I think they both have their pros and cons honestly. Just anecdotally from my experience here. Cig filters don't filter as well, but remain in one piece. Cotton pieces tend to filter better, but also break up. You don't want strands of cotton blocking your needle tip, or even worse passing through.
Needle exchanges here provide a pressed, manufactured cotton filter. They hold their shape, and filter well with no fibers breaking away. Best of both worlds I think.
-
BAD HARM REDUCTION
I always take a q tip, the denser the cotton the better. Take off one of the 2 tops and cut it down to as small as I think I can get away with.
I like the smallest amount of excess product. Little cotton, little water. Just what I need to do the job.
I also double filter.
Bad harm reduction but it's what I do.
-
I had a used cig filter in the cap of a syringe that I guess got dried out and literally crumbled apart into brown dust. I opened that cap up one day and out came what looked like a solid jab or two of dope, but it wasn't to be.
-
i have heard horror stories from people filtering with USED cigarette filters ... they said that they got very ill, as you'd imagine.
Q-tips (or Cotton Buds, as we call them) are the best, i reckon.
some people as nuts when it comes to their own personal IV HR practices.
Nicotine is a poison that can be lethal and I would imagine aused cigarette filter would have an unspecified concentrated amount which you certainly wouldn't want injected into your bloodstream Tha ans all the other micro-particles in the used filtr that would dislodge into water.
I was once w/o anything to filter a speedball . I was in my car and sick and didn't want to stop and buy Q-Tips . I tried a little piece of my shirt but that didn't work so well I ended up shooting it unfiltred and the next day had a kidney stone. I don't know if the shot was the cause but it would not have surprised me if it was.
-
I use Family Dollar Brand UNSCENTED tampons. They are 100% cotton & they ARE sterilized as they are meant to be used internally. They're also cheap. You just pull off the bit you need & keep the rest to use later.