It is claimed that ear acupuncture helps about 40 per cent of people to give up smoking over a period of about six months. Again, it is essential to be well motivated before embarking on a course of treatment. Acupuncture does seem to decrease the desire to smoke and also to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms produced by abstinence from tobacco.
Acupuncture does have an effect on addictions and obesity, although the effect is limited and some of the claims made for acupuncture in this field may be due to other associated factors.