Text adapted in 2021 from Smoking Cessation in The Primary Care Addiction Toolkit (online only). A complete list of Toolkit authors, editors and contributors is available here.
Is there evidence that acupuncture or hypnosis are effective in smoking cessation?
While many patients report that they feel more relaxed after auricular acupuncture or hypnotherapy, there is little evidence to recommend their use in smoking cessation. While there may be a transient relaxation response, this does not appear to translate into higher rates of abstinence
Nonetheless, while studies have not found improved abstinence rates using acupuncture or hypnosis, individual patients may find these modalities beneficial and should not be discouraged from using them. For more about acupuncture, please see White et al, 2014 and Barnes et al, 2019. Acupuncture and hypnosis tend to be expensive and time consuming; therefore, neither can be recommended when more effective therapies are available.