It’s time to step down our intake of that sweet, pungent Nag Champa.
Inhalation of incense smoke can increase the risk of cancer and worsen asthma conditions, according to a public health official.
“In Thailand, some people light as many as 9 joss sticks in order to pray to the Buddha, the Tripitaka, and the Sangha,” Dr. Anucha Setsathien of the National Institute for Emergency Medicine said. “It′s a silent danger that comes with the incense.”
Commonly used during merit-making ceremonies and prayer, incense – or joss sticks – are burned widely throughout the kingdom. Anucha said the smoke can also aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma, and encouraged people to call health hotline 1669 if they felt affected by incense smoke, Khaosod reported.
This is one public health warning that seems supported by the science.
In 2008 a 12-year study of 60,000 Chinese people published in the journal Cancer on the effects of incense smoke burning concluded it contains carcinogens such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, carbonyls and benzene, which can mutate human DNA. However incense is usually sold without any warning labels.
Photo: Alex Kostibas
