OSLO, NORWAY. Researchers at the University of Oslo have just released a study showing that acupuncture can be highly effective in helping motivated smokers to quit or at least markedly reduce their tobacco consumption. Their experiment involved 46 men and women with an average age of 39 years (mean). They had been smoking about 20 cigarettes a day for about 20 years. At the start of the study the participants were randomly split into two groups. The treatment group (TG) received acupuncture and acupressure treatments using acupuncture points which had previously been found useful for inducing smoking cessation. The control group received treatment using points with no anti- smoking effect. The active treatment involved electroacupuncture at the Lieque and Kongzui points, ear acupuncture at Shenmen and two points relating to the mouth and lungs, and ear acupressure at Shenmen and points relating to the mouth, lungs, and trachea. The control treatment involved points related to the knees, neck, shoulder, and lumbar vertebra. After receiving acupuncture treatments twice a week for three weeks the subjects in the TG reduced their cigarette consumption by 75 per cent versus a 39 per cent reduction in the control group. Among the participants in the active treatment group, 31 per cent had completely quit smoking at the end of the three weeks while none of the subjects in the control group had quit. The researchers conclude that acupuncture treatment involving the proper points may help motivated smokers to quit or at least reduce their cigarette consumption drastically.
He, Dong, et al. Effects of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction for motivated smokers. Preventive Medicine, Vol. 26, March/April 1997, pp. 208- 14
