# Does burning incense cause lung cancer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 1999, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burning-incense-cause-lung-cancer/718 "1999-05-23T04:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 1999, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burning-incense-cause-lung-cancer/718/1 "1999-05-23T04:53:00Z")
Well, i was burning some nice floral-smelling incense the other day, and inhaling the fumes (after all, that’s how incense works)… And i started to wonder… am i increasing my risk of lung cancer by using incense? Seems like first-hand smoke to me, sure it doesnt have nicotine in it (well, the more addictive incense probably does), but still, it’s smoke that we breathe in - surely it must cause cancer, right? I’m surprised that there are no surgeon general’s warnings on packs of incense, and i am shocked that i see minors buying incense to go burn with their ‘cool’ friends. Anyone know of any long term studies done on the health risks of burning incense? 🙂 Kalt ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 1999, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burning-incense-cause-lung-cancer/718/2 "1999-05-23T19:45:00Z")
Maybe you could check on the mortality rates for ex-altarboys or frequent mass attendees. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 1999, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burning-incense-cause-lung-cancer/718/3 "1999-06-07T03:45:00Z")
No Catholic churches use that stuff at every mass! Whaddaya think we are, masochists? For the uninitiated, that holy smoke stuff is _POWERFULL._ It’s only on a few holy days (like Christmas and Easter) that we can summen up the divine courage to light the incense bomb. 😉 * * * “I had a feeling that in Hell there would be mushrooms.” -The Secret of Monkey Island ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 1999, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burning-incense-cause-lung-cancer/718/4 "1999-06-07T14:08:00Z")
Orthodox Christians (at least Russian Orthodox) use incense a lot more frequently. At least when I was one, they used it every time I attended service. Always made me wonder about the way they conducted services - most of thr worshipers stand throughout the service, there’s a lot of slow, more or less monotonous (but musical) chanting, heavy incense in the air, ceiling and walls painted with figures and pictures… I’d swear it was an exercise in altered consciousness. * * * Cave Diem! Carpe Canem! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 1999, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burning-incense-cause-lung-cancer/718/5 "1999-06-07T22:18:00Z")
Oh, and lest you get the wrong impression, I used to be an alter boy. It’s actually a great job for kids that can’t sit still through the sevices. 😉 * * * “I had a feeling that in Hell there would be mushrooms.” -The Secret of Monkey Island ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 1999, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burning-incense-cause-lung-cancer/718/6 "1999-06-07T22:45:00Z")
“lest you get the wrong impression, I used to be an alter boy.” What was the _wrong_ impression? The mere mention of the phrase ‘alter boy’ stirs up some pretty strong images in the secular mind. . . ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 1999, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-burning-incense-cause-lung-cancer/718/7 "1999-06-09T03:02:00Z")
Those images couldn’t possably be as strong as that incense. I’d attempt to analyse what you mean by “strong images”, but I don’t feel like being a troll tonight.