Laser Treatments to Stop Smoking

Laser therapies are among the latest treatments used to help people stop smoking. Laser centers that perform this therapy claim it is a quick and painless way to give up cigarettes. The effectiveness of these treatments has been debated.

Method

• Cold laser therapy, also known as laser acupuncture, is used to stimulate acupressure points on the body. Laser therapies are usually relatively painless and do not require suspending normal activities.

Claims

• The lasers stimulate the release of endorphins, which tricks the body into thinking it is getting the same chemicals it gets from cigarettes, thereby assisting with withdrawal.

History

• American clinics say this laser treatment has been used in Europe for 30 years and for 16 in Canada with a reported 87 percent success rate

Validity

• There is no credible evidence this treatment works and the lasers are not FDA-approved for this purpose. So far, there have been no well-run clinical trials.

Cost

• Most centers claim successful results in two or three treatments. Prices vary but you can expect to pay several hundred dollars for a package of treatments