Helping people to stop smoking: randomised comparison of groups being treated with acupuncture and nico- tine gum with control group. BMJ

The two treatments most often studied in helping people to stop smoking are acupuncture1,2 and nicotine gum.3,4 We report the results of a randomised trial comparing the efficacy of these treatments with that of a control treatment over 12 months of follow up. Subjects, methods, and results We advertised among the general public asking for volunteers to participate in the trial. Although a recent poll reported that almost half the smokers in France wished to stop smoking, we had to contact nearly 35 000 smokers to enrol 651 participants. Adults smoking at least five cigarettes a day were eligible. We excluded women who were pregnant or breast feeding and people with gastric ulcers or a history of heart disease. Treatment (acupuncture, nicotine gum, or a control treatment) was allocated by balanced randomisation, each group receiving three one hour sessions of group therapy during the first month. In the group given acupuncture the needles were placed bilaterally for 30 minutes at the "shuai gu " and "qiuhou" points. In the group given nicotine gum 105 pieces of gum, each containing 2 mg nicotine, were distributed to each participant. Subjects in the control group were given minimal intervention, consisting of a cigarette case with a lock controlled by a time switch, which they could regulate at will. The criteria for success were the proportion of people who had completely stopped smoking one and 13 month