Quit Smoking Advisory

One new answer to the age old problem of cigarette addiction that continues to baffle the medical establishment, is the stop smoking laser. It works using similar principles to accupuncture as found in Eastern medicine.

This is supposed to be a far superior method to using willpower alone or especially nicotine replacement therapy, the latter being simply a substitute for cigarettes.

How Does It Work?

Stop smoking laser treatments does not involve the use of medications, patches or other traditional means. It works by directing a low level laser on parts of the body and uses the same principles as accupressure or accupuncture.

Accupressure and accupuncture were for many years derided by the West due to a lack of understanding of how they work. However, as clinical trials have shown the success of what the East has known for centuries, even government health services will now fund many such treatments.

Although the laser is relatively new, it uses very similar concepts. What happens is that when the laser is focussed on the skin, it provokes a response in the body. One of these responses is to create endorphins which are the body’s “pleasure chemicals”. They have a calming and relaxing effect and some people even report euphoric feelings after leaving treatment.

No one truly understands how the laser works on the body to produce the response but the endorphins and other physical responses result in cravings disappearing for the smoker. Hence, after a few sessions, they can make a decision to quit smoking and not have to deal with the really bad cravings that usually happen in the first few days.

Does The Laser Work?

So, what do I think of this so-called revolutionary stop smoking laser? First of all, there have been alternatives such as accupressure and accupuncture available for centuries. If I were to use this method then I would probably prefer to use the “real deal” and go direct to a Chinese specialist in accupuncture/accupressure. The stop smoking laser seems to be to be a 21st century marketing gimmick designed to make this old practice more acceptable by consumers.

Secondly, I decided to look into some studies to judge the value of lasers in helping people to quit smoking. Here is one such study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16437420) where smokers were followed up after a year of trying lasers. If you look at the authors’ conclusions then you will be able to read:

“There is no consistent evidence that acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy or electrostimulation are effective for smoking cessation, but methodological problems mean that no firm conclusions can be drawn. Further research using frequent or continuous stimulation is justified.”

This is just as I thought. You see, in a similar way to hypnosis, lasers can help you with the cravings when you quit, but ultimately over time, your mind will ask - “how can I have suddenly lost the cravings?”. It will not make sense to you that your experience tells you that you want a cigarette but a couple of laser sessions tell you otherwise.

Eventually, your powers of logic will value your experience more than any sessions of therapy and you will start smoking again. The effect of these therapies on killing the cravings is only temporary. So, you will be back at square one again within a few weeks to months.