WASHINGTON, D.C., USA American swimmer Michael Phelps, Grand Marshall of the "Smokey the Bong Big Birthday Hit" parade and celebration kicked off the national day of recognition by revealing the beloved mascot's new slogan, "Get Your Smoke On."
While bongs have been hit by the Hmong people in Laos and Thailand for centuries, the first recorded usage outside of Asia was reported in the McFarland Thai-English Dictionary in 1944. Western culture immediately took to the bong, and adherents to the "Way of the Bong" adopted their mascot, Smokey the Bong, on August 9, 1944.
Use of both the bong and its mascot spread widely throughout America due to extensive ad campaigns by the National Herbalist Service and National Head Council; the fictional character Smokey the Bong is administered by the United States Herbal Service, the National Association of State Herbalists, and the Head Council. Smokey the Bong's name and image are protected by U.S. federal law.
