A roach tip is a reusable mouthpiece for use in a self-rolled cigarette, commonly made of glass but also available in paper and card and occasionally flavoured.
Yes. A roach can refer to two other things. Firstly, it is a term used to describe the unsmoked remains of a self-rolled cigarette or blunt. It also refers to an improvised mouthpiece in a self-rolled cigarette, usually a small piece of rolled up cardboard.
You can buy single use roaches made from perishable substances like card or reusable ones made from durable materials like glass. When you have finished and extinguished a cigarette or blunt, simply remove the roach, clean it if necessary and use it next time you roll a cigarette.
RAW filter tips are high-quality disposable filter tips produced by RAW, the US-based seller of smoking supplies. Although they are made from paper the use of unrefined fibres in their manufacture means they roll smoothly and will retain their shape and strength even when wet.
If you are using disposable filter tips then you simply slot them into the end of a cigarette from which you will be inhaling, either as part of the rolling process or when you have finished rolling, whichever you find more convenient. If you are using a glass filter then once you have finished rolling your cigarette you need to insert it inside the filter then remove it once it is finished.
While a filter tip will never make it perfectly safe to smoke cigarettes, they can certainly reduce the amount of tar and nicotine which enters the lungs. They were developed when the first medical studies in the 1950s linked smoking and lung cancer. Today many filters have tiny perforations which allow air to mix with smoke as it flows through the filter, diluting the concentration of harmful chemicals.
Yes, this is a very widespread practice amongst smokers of roll-your-own herbal and tobacco cigarettes. They can help to screen out harmful substances and cool down the air you inhale, making each drag more pleasant. They are also useful in giving shape and stability in the rolling process and they can improve airflow, making it easier to smoke a blunt or cigarette which has been too tightly packed.
Roaches and filters are used to inhale when smoking but while filters do prevent some harmful substances from reaching the smoker's lungs, a roach does little more than stop the tobacco or herb from getting in your mouth and provides a solid mouthpiece.
There is a strong market for wholesale filter tips. Many different types are available and some merchants also supply roach tips wholesale, so that all preferences in the smoking community are catered for.