Should Incense be banned?

[JustGeorge]

I don't think there should be so much that it's overpowering but I don't think a blanket ban is needed. (why ban blankets?)

Because they're suffocating sheets of sweat and skin flakes! Ban them, I say!

Really, anything's a 'hazard', if you want to frame it as such.

You mean I bothered to give this some thought for nothing? I'm outraged.

Seriously, @SalixIncendium ... why would you make him go through all the pain of thinking for no reason?

It should be banned in restrooms.

...depends on who you go in after...

 

[Nakosis]

The title says it all, really. Or does it?

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"Incense burning emits smoke containing particulate matter, gas products and other organic compounds and causes air pollution, airway disease and health problems. When incense smoke pollutants are inhaled, they cause airway dysfunction."​

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Incense smoke: clinical, structural and molecular effects on airway disease

In Asian countries where the Buddhism and Taoism are mainstream religions, incense burning is a daily practice. A typical composition of stick incense consists of 21% (by weight) of herbal and wood powder, 35% of fragrance material, 11% of adhesive powder, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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That and some people don't like the aroma. Based on these, should incense be banned?

Why or why not?

You don't think you can decide for yourself to stop using a substance if you feel it is being harmful to you?

I suppose some folks miss the days when their parents were around to make all of the decisions for them.

 

[Heyo]

The green party tried to ban incense in Bavaria (basically our Texas). They weren't serious though. They argued that incense contains THC and as Bavaria had it banned in any amount, no exceptions, incense should be banned also.
The judge ruled that laws could be hypocritical and a zero tolerance policy versus hemp while allowing Catholics to get as high as a kite on incense was perfectly OK.

 

[Secret Chief]

why would you make him go through all the pain of thinking for no reason?

He needn't feel too bad, it's not like I gave it more than a few seconds thought.

 

[Echogem222]

The title says it all, really. Or does it?

​

"Incense burning emits smoke containing particulate matter, gas products and other organic compounds and causes air pollution, airway disease and health problems. When incense smoke pollutants are inhaled, they cause airway dysfunction."​

​

Incense smoke: clinical, structural and molecular effects on airway disease

In Asian countries where the Buddhism and Taoism are mainstream religions, incense burning is a daily practice. A typical composition of stick incense consists of 21% (by weight) of herbal and wood powder, 35% of fragrance material, 11% of adhesive powder, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

​

That and some people don't like the aroma. Based on these, should incense be banned?

Why or why not?

"However, several conflicting reports have also been documented. The effect of incense smoke on health and the mechanism behind it needs to be further studied in an animal model. To obtain further conclusive results, more epidemiological studies with better controls and a longer time period are needed. Meanwhile, it is a good practice to keep the room well ventilated when burning incense. It will effectively dilute the indoor air pollutants and hence reduce the risk of exposure."


But even if those studies are completed, and it's found out that incense smoke really is completely bad, incense burning is a part of more than 1 religion practice, so to say it's wrong is to say that religions that have that practice are wrong. Warnings should be given to people who burn incense, and it should be banned from public locations that have nothing to do with religion, places that the public can reasonably avoid, but that's it.

 

[Glaurung]

No. Thurifer is the best job you can get as an altar boy. My thurible swing technique is impeccable.

 

[Quintessence]

I came across this report years ago. Not all incense is the same, and this part here should not be overlooked:

"However, several conflicting reports have also been documented. The effect of incense smoke on health and the mechanism behind it needs to be further studied in an animal model. To obtain further conclusive results, more epidemiological studies with better controls and a longer time period are needed."

Obviously, incense with synthetic fragrances are more suspect than those without. And you can tell the difference when you breathe it, too. I've largely switched away from cheap, bamboo core, synthetic incense for precisely that reason. This early report doesn't really discern between synthetic and non-synthetic fragrance, or incense with and without bamboo cores, or really much of anything. There's no such thing as a zero risk scenario, but this particular report doesn't say anything about what the LD50 is - probably why it states further studies are needed as that critical information simply isn't available at the time of its writing.

Have anything newer and better and more conclusive? Something that has a proper risk analysis attached to it?

To add, no, obviously it shouldn't be banned - we don't ban smoking. We regulate it. And I sure as hell would like to see more disclosure from fragrance companies in general, whether incense, home "air fresheners" or perfumes. Some of that synthetic stuff smells sick.

 

[Heyo]

 

[Jedster]

And Orthodox Christians, Hindus, Buddhists...

Don't forget Shinto (I use Japanese sandalwood incense sometimes, nit strong but gives a nice slight flavour)

 

[Shaul]

Nobody is taking my incense from me unless they can pry it out of my cold, dead, ash covered hands.

If you are burning the incense in your hands, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Shaul]

Some people get really incensed about incense.

 

[Secret Chief]

What about backflow incense burners? The work of the devil?

 

[Alien826]

Yes, but we're not talking about opposing bans. We're talking about implementing bans to begin with, often as a result of someone simply not agreeing others' choices.


There was a ban on alcohol manufacture and sales in the form of Prohibition in the US from 1920-1933. One would think something would have been learned by that given consequences and the aftermath of the repeal.

Prohibition was introduced in an attempt to combat spousal abuse fueled by drunkenness. Or at least a perception of that. So it wasn't just "not agreeing [with] other's choices". What followed was unintended consequences.

The lesson that unfortunately wasn't learned was that it's difficult to stop something that a majority of the population want to do where the bad effects are limited to a minority. And so we have the laws forbidding marijuana use. And the "war on drugs" in general, though that doesn't quite fit what I said. For that you have to understand the power of addiction, but I could go on.

 

[mangalavara]

If you are burning the incense in your hands, you're doing it wrong.

Well, where am I supposed to burn it? In my lap?