What is Quit Smoking?
Tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of disease and death. Quitting always benefits your health, regardless of your age or how long you have smoked: the risk of heart attack starts to fall, lung function improves and taste and smell return.
Smoking dependence has two sides: physical dependence on nicotine and a behavioural habit linked to situations such as coffee, the end of a meal or moments of stress. Both need to be addressed for a successful quit attempt.
The quit smoking support at our clinic is a programme combining acupuncture and behavioural counselling, based on traditional and complementary medicine practices approved by the Turkish Ministry of Health.
How does it work?
Acupuncture, especially through ear (auricular) points, is used as a supportive measure in managing withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, irritability, restlessness and sleep problems. Its effect varies from person to person and the best results are achieved together with motivation and behavioural support.
In the programme, your triggers are identified, a quit date is chosen together and alternative behaviours are planned for each trigger. Where needed, you are referred to your doctor or a smoking cessation clinic for nicotine replacement therapy or medication; these treatments can be used together with acupuncture.
When is it used?
- People who have decided to quit and are looking for support
- People who have tried to quit before and started again because of withdrawal symptoms
- People who want support for stress, irritability and sleep problems while quitting
- People worried about weight gain after quitting
How is it done?
- 1Assessing your smoking history, triggers and motivation.
- 2Setting a quit date and a personalised plan.
- 3Support for cravings and withdrawal symptoms with acupuncture sessions.
- 4Close follow-up in the critical first weeks and relapse prevention advice.
- Set yourself a quit date; the first session is usually planned close to this date.
- For a few days, note how many cigarettes you smoke a day and in which situations you smoke most.
- Tell us about your medication and any chronic conditions.
- At the first consultation your motivation, smoking history and triggers are assessed.
- In the acupuncture session, body and ear points are used; the needles stay in place for 20–30 minutes.
- Small pressure points on the ear (tape or seeds) may be recommended for use between sessions.
- Remove cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays from your home and car.
- When a craving comes, use alternative behaviours such as drinking water, a short walk or deep breathing.
- The first 2–4 weeks are the most critical; do not skip your follow-up sessions during this time.
- In Türkiye you can get free support from the ALO 171 quitline.
Possible side effects
- Small bruises or tenderness at the needle sites
- Temporary dizziness or tiredness
- Temporary irritability, increased appetite and sleep changes related to quitting (withdrawal symptoms)
Who is it not suitable for?
- Bleeding disorders or use of blood thinners (medical assessment needed for acupuncture)
- Certain acupuncture points during pregnancy
- Complementary support alone in severe psychiatric conditions (monitored together with the relevant specialist)
Sources
- Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health. Regulation on Traditional and Complementary Medicine Practices. Official Gazette, 27 October 2014, No. 29158.
- White AR, Rampes H, Liu JP, Stead LF, Campbell J. Acupuncture and related interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(1):CD000009.
- World Health Organization. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Geneva: WHO; 2023.
