The Rizla tradition has a humble beginning that started in 1532. As the legend goes, on a fateful, rainy day in the French city of Angoulême, Pierre de Lacroix was inspired to begin the production of rolling papers when he traded a rolling paper for a bottle of fine champagne and realized their potential market.
Most smokers believe that bongs are healthier than other smoking methods; however, a 2000 NORML-MAPS study found that "water pipes filter out more psychoactive THC than they do other tars, thereby requiring users to smoke more to reach their desired effect".