Paris - Smokers who are twiddling acupuncture studs in their ears in the hope of quitting their habit would probably be better off if they slapped a nicotine patch on their arm.
A study published yesterday in a British journal, Tobacco Control, finds absolutely no scientific evidence that acupuncture can help kick the smoking habit. The authors did not, however, rubbish acupuncture as a medical technique. Researchers from Britain's University of Exeter reviewed all the published trials on the subject, numbering 14 over 20 years, to see whether acupuncture really worked for smokers.