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Adrian R. White, MD; Karl-Ludwig Resch, MD, PhD; Edzard Ernst, MD, PhD, FRCP(Edin)

Arch Intern Med. 1998;158:2251-2255.

Background  Acupuncture is frequently used for smoking cessation. Positive results from uncontrolled studies have not been supported by meta-analysis of controlled trials. One possible reason for this is that the optimal acupuncture technique was not applied or that the technique was not repeated sufficiently often.

Methods  A randomized, sham-controlled trial was performed with 2 parallel treatment arms; the participant and the evaluator were unaware of which treatment was received. Seventy-six adults who wanted to stop smoking received either 100-Hz electroacupuncture with needles inserted into the appropriate point in each ear or a sham control procedure over the mastoid bone. Interventions were given on days 1, 3, and 7 of smoking cessation. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms were measured by visual analog scale scores recorded in a daily diary for 14 days; smoking cessation was confirmed objectively.

Results  There was no significant difference between the mean reduction of withdrawal symptom scores of the 2 groups from day 1 to day 14. Fifteen participants (39%) who received electroacupuncture and 16 participants (42%) who received a sham procedure were abstinent on day 14.

Conclusion  This form of electroacupuncture is no more effective than placebo in reducing nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

From the Department of Complementary Medicine, Postgraduate Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, England. Dr Resch is now with Forschungsinstitut für Balneologie und Kurortwissenschaft, Bad Elster, Germany.

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