A recent innovation in the war on tobacco is the use of laser treatment to stop smoking.
Many smokers have tried many approaches so this approach is another gun in the armoury you might think - I think you'd be wrong though.
The approach uses the same principles found in acupuncture, shiatsu massage and reflexology.
Whilst these approaches are unproven on a clinical basis, they are devised around the belief that there are certain pressure points or energy centres around the body that when stimulated, can effect major changes in the body.
Laser treatment to stop smoking uses this very same principle but rather than using needles as in acupuncture, laser treatment relies upon laser light to stimulate these pressure points.
Laser treatment to stop smoking is what is termed a holistic approach.
That is to say that the physical aspects of the treatment are considered to be as important as the mental aspects of the treatment.
It is a philosophical rather than evidence based approach.
As laser treatment to stop smoking is a holistic medicine, there is very little evidence that it can be useful.
Indeed, there are many in the medical profession who consider holistic medicine to be no better than quackery and support their views with the fact that there is little clinical evidence that such approaches have any positive effect.
As laser treatment to stop smoking is based largely on the theories of acupuncture, the foundations for laser treatment predate the scientific method for assessing effectiveness of a treatment.
There is no anatomical or histological basis for acupuncture and therefore there is not anatomical or histological basis for laser treatment.
In my opinion, approaches such as laser treatment, acupuncture, acupressure and energy therapy to stop smoking are all complimentary holistic therapies with little evidence for success.
Stay away and find an approach that has been tested using the scientific method.