Author: Jonathan Moore
A company in Connecticut is offering laser therapy for anyone seeking to quit smoking.
The smoking cessation service uses low-level lasers to target acupuncture points on the body, relating to addiction, metabolism and stress. The company goes so far as to claim that after a single session, you will stop smoking.
"When you smoke a cigarette, you artificially tell your brain to release endorphins," Frank Pinto, the owner of Innovative Laser Therapy, explained to Reuters Health.
Laser technology similar to this has already been used to treat arthritis-related pain. But can it really work in terms of smoking cessation?
Reuters reports that there's limited research showing that laser therapy helps some smokers quit. A 2008 report published in the Journal of Chinese Medicine does indicate that smokers who had more laser therapy were more likely to quit smoking. But a lack of information about the trial invites scepticism. In Singapore a study of adolescents found no difference in 3-month quitting rates for patients who underwent laser surgery.
One specialist, Dr Adrian White, says: "In scientific terms, this one study is not enough evidence to recommend laser for smoking cessation."
Smoking cessation can be achieved in a variety of ways. Some smokers are able to stop through willpower alone. But many need a helping hand. This help may come in the form of quit smoking books, or quit smoking counselling from a trained specialist. In recent years people looking to quit smoking have also had the option of taking Champix, a quit smoking medication. Champix works to reduce your bodies? cravings for nicotine.
Smoking cessation with lasers may be possible. But at the moment, there is little evidence to suggest that this will be the next big thing in smoking cessation.
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