Incence Linked To Cancer

[joreth]

I've always hated incense and I put it on the same annoyance level as cigarette smoke, but I never considered it might be just as harmful (if not more) than second-hand cigarette smoke.  I'm not ready to jump on the bandwagon here of banning incense the way I want to ban smoking in public areas because I didn't fully research this study, but since I don't like how incense smells, I'm going to post this article anyway.

And, for the record, I do not want to make cigarettes illegal - that would only create more non-violent criminals the way drug use does (I'm for the legalization and taxation of drugs too, even though I think drugs are really, really stupid), but I very firmly believe your right to swing your fist ends at my nose and smoking in public areas does not stop you from the ability to choose to smoke, it only prevents you from forcing me to smoke against my own choice.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSPAT56944620080825?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

The researchers found that incense use was associated with a statistically significant higher risk of cancers of the upper respiratory tract, with the exception of nasopharyngeal cancer. However, they observed no overall effect on lung cancer risk.

Those who used incense heavily also had higher rates of a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, which refers to tumors that arise in the cells lining the internal and external surfaces of the body. The risk was seen in smokers and nonsmokers.

Study participants who used incense in their homes all day or throughout the day and night were 80 percent more likely than non-users to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the entire respiratory tract.

The link between incense use and increased cancer risk held when the researchers weighed other factors, including cigarette smoking, diet and drinking habits.

"This association is consistent with a large number of studies identifying carcinogens in incense smoke," Friborg's team writes, "and given the widespread and sometimes involuntary exposure to smoke from burning incense, these findings carry significant public health implications."

They say further studies are needed to see whether different types of incense are associated with different degrees of cancer risk. In Singapore, the researchers note, most people burn long sticks or coils of incense that burn slowly over an extended period.

SOURCE: Cancer, October 1, 2008.

Comments

[leora.livejournal.com]

*sighs* That's annoying. I like incense in moderation. I use it in my own home now and then...

I wonder about other ways of scenting things. What about burning oils?

[joreth]

I got the impression that it was regular/constant use of incense, so I don't think the occasional burning of one stick will significantly increase your chances of respiratory cancer, but places like holy buildings and stores that burn it all day, every day will.

Unfortunately, there was no mention of oils. I'm of the opinion that breathing in smoke of any sort is probably not good for you, so I just don't burn things like that. I try to go for no-scent, as opposed to scented.

[leora.livejournal.com]

Well, for a measurable risk. And doing something bad for you now and then is okay in moderation... I know that some of the desserts I eat aren't good for me, but indulging now and then is fine. But it still means it is an indulgence rather than a harmless enjoyment.

Certain scents just make me feel better. They improve my mood. I enjoy having certain scents in my life. I mostly do this with bath products, but sometimes incense is nice. And incense is ~cheap~. Nice bath products are not.

It's just annoying to take something that I like and wasn't hurting anyone and turn it into something that can hurt people.

[joreth]

Well, according to this, it was hurting people, but, as we both said, in moderation is probably not significantly harmful. So "sometimes incense is nice" is still probably OK - as far as the research currently shows, unlike the latest study of second-hand cigarette smoke (a Scottish study showed statistically significant improvements in the chances of developing cancer after enacting a ban on public smoking).

I understand about certain scents making one feel better - I always feel better when I smell fresh baked goods and there is this one Glade scented oil product that smells like sugar cookies that I absolutely love, so I will be quite disappointed to learn that oils do the same thing, if they are harmful.