As shown below, the evidence is mixed. One thing all studies agree upon, the quality of study evidence is poor.

Please keep in mind that your neighborhood acupuncturist telling you that he or she cures 90% of all smokers is not independent proof. In fact, if the below evidence is accurate, it's probably consumer fraud.

June 2000 U.S. Guideline

In June 2000 the U.S. government published the "Clinical Practice Guideline [for] Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence (USDHHS). Page 67 of the U.S. Guideline states:

Acupuncture. "A separate meta-analysis was conducted for acupuncture. This analysis was conducted to achieve a sensitive test on the small body of studies that use this technique. Evidence, as shown in Table 24 (see page 70), did not support the efficacy of acupuncture as a smoking cessation treatment. The acupuncture meta-analysis comparing "active" acupuncture with "control" acupuncture revealed no difference in efficacy between the two types of procedures. These results suggest that any effect of acupuncture might be produced by factors such as positive expectations about the procedure."

2014 Cochrane Review

"Do acupuncture and related therapies help smokers who are trying to quit?," authored by White AR, Rampes H, Liu J, Stead LF, Campbell J, the review's primary conclusion is that:

"Although pooled estimates suggest possible short-term effects there is no consistent, bias-free evidence that acupuncture, acupressure, or laser therapy have a sustained benefit on smoking cessation for six months or more. However, lack of evidence and methodological problems mean that no firm conclusions can be drawn."

"Electrostimulation is not effective for smoking cessation. Well-designed research into acupuncture, acupressure and laser stimulation is justified since these are popular interventions and safe when correctly applied, though these interventions alone are likely to be less effective than evidence-based interventions."

2019 Wang et al Meta Analysis

The 2019 Wang meta analyis reviewed twenty-four trials involving 3984 participants. It found that "the methodological quality was generally low. With regard to smoking abstinence, meta-analysis showed acupuncture was more effective compared to no intervention/waiting list for short-term (4 weeks) cessation (1 trial, RR=2.37, 95% 1.41, 3.97) and long-term (longer than 6 months) (2 trials, RR=2.66, 95% CI: 1.50, 4.70)."

Bandolier Library

"Acupuncture to stop smoking" Examines the Cochrane review studies and a meta-analysis of acupuncture techniques and draws the following conclusion:

People entering trials of smoking cessation want to stop smoking. Some of them succeed. With acupuncture, no more succeed.

Acupuncture for Smoking High School Students - a February 2006 study examined "The effects of the acupuncture treatment for smoking cessation in high school student smokers."

"This study was conducted for four weeks using 238 smoking students at 2 high schools. The subjects were separated into two groups: 159 students were treated with acupuncture on the anti-smoking acupoints of the ear, which is known to be effective for cessation of smoking (case group), and 79 students were treated at other sites of the ear (control group). The acupuncture treatment was alternately administered at each side of the ears on a weekly basis for 4 weeks."

"The smoking cessation success was only 1 case (0.6%) in the case group and none in the control group after 4 weeks. The change in the taste of tobacco and the intensity of the desire to smoke were not significantly different between the case and control groups, but the case group showed a tendency of reduction in the taste of tobacco and the intensity of the desire to smoke. In addition, the reduction in cigarette consumption was not significant, but the tendency of reduction in the study group was significant. It is believed that the site of auricular acupuncture for smoking cessation is not important. However, there was a significant tendency in terms of the reduction in cigarette consumption, the taste of tobacco and the intensity of the desire to smoke in the case group, indicating that auricular acupuncture in smoking cessation has some effect."

Closing thoughts

It's common practice on the Internet for acupuncturists to offer "testimonials" from satisfied customers. Please keep in mind that those quitting on their own, without any assistance from any source whatsoever, have a 10 to 11% chance of quitting for 6 months and about a 5% chance of quitting for one year. If true, at least 10% of all quitters who undergo acupuncture should still be free at 6 months. In fact, 10% of those who quit while standing on their head, while taking 1,000 different types of herbs, after undergoing hypnosis, or even after using the nicotine patch, should still be quit at 6 months.

A problem develops when the acupuncturist (or any other quit smoking product or procedure) adds in additional proven techniques other than acupuncture (such as one-on-one or group counseling, cessation education, skills development exercises, other behavioral training, group support, or additional sessions or repeated telephone contact that encourages a smoker to continue on) and thereafter attempts to market their program by awarding 100% of their program's success to acupuncture.

Yes, even having your own pep-rally or cheerleader has proven to increase cessation rates above the standard 10%. Care must be taken not to give acupuncture credit for conscious cheerleading that pumps up the team before the big crave.