The Department of Health's Bureau of Health Promotion is registering success using acupuncture to help university students stop smoking.
A survey of college students by bureau revealed that 7.5 percent are smokers, with 13 percent of males and 2 percent of females smoking. You Bo-cun, director of the bureau's Office of Health Education, said the bureau is promoting smokeless campuses to reduce the smoking rate among young people.
Graduate student Chan Chian-chih at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology started smoking while still in middle school. He enrolled in a quit-smoking class after being bombarded by the school nurse's lectures on how one should give up the bad habit.
"It's weird. By around the fourth week, I suddenly couldn't stand the smell of smoke anymore!" After eight weeks, plus acupuncture treatment and avoidance of invitations from friends, he has successfully kicked a multiyear smoking addiction.
Chan used to smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day, going through seven to eight packs a month. However, after the acupuncture treatment, he started to feel revolted by the smell of tobacco, and began to reduce his use. Shocked at the result, Chan felt in increasingly better spirits thereafter, and gained several kilograms.
Today, he no longer takes the treatment, but still massages acupuncture points in his ears. "The ear treatment has no side effects, and I suggest that anyone who wants to quit should give it a try," he said
Over the past year, the Bureau of Health Promotion has teamed up with the Ministry of Education to run smoking prevention programs at 31 university campuses. Over 700 students have enrolled in 24 classes, in addition to other programs offered. Of these, 110 have successfully quit smoking, and 400 have cut their cigarette use in half.
(This article originally appeared in The Liberty Times Nov. 2.)
