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I have found no convincing evidence that acupuncture and hypnosis have any significant beneficial effect in smoking cessation, although those marketing these smoking cessation programs often claim otherwise. A meta-analysis of acupuncture techniques was conducted by the Postgraduate Medical School of the University of Exeter and reported in the Winter 1999 edition of the Tobacco Control journal. The conclusions of the study in part were:
“Acupuncture was not superior to sham acupuncture for smoking cessation; no particular aspect of acupuncture technique was associated with a positive effect.............”
However, hypnosis, acupuncture, herbal preparations and other alternative therapies may have a placebo effect in smoking cessation with some people. If a person believes strongly enough that a particular technique or program is helping them to become a nonsmoker, then chances are that it is. Unless the technique or program is potentially harmful, then by all means continue with it.
Be aware of misleading claims made by many marketing commercial smoking cessation programs. The high success rates claimed often result from comparisons of participants’ smoking habits at the start of the program and at the end of the program. It is not much of an advantage if a smoker stops smoking at the end of a program and starts again the next day or next week. The title of this Web Site is Staying Stopped and that is what all smokers who stop smoking are really trying to achieve.
Many thousands of people have stopped smoking and stay stopped, without being involved in any formal program whatsoever. However, programs do help many people. The most successful programs are group programs which have a trained facilitator guiding members in the group through their decision making processes.
Most smokers experience some withdrawal symptoms when they cut down or cease smoking. I discuss withdrawal on the next page.
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