I'll try to answer your question about acupuncture and smoking cessation, as I own and operate a
Boise acupuncture clinic. The most commonly used stop smoking protocol is the NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) protocol, which involves 5 sterile acupuncture needles inserted into specific points on each ear (for a total of 10 needles). The needles are usually retained for 20 - 40 minutes. It's an effective protocol for various types of addiction (substance abuse, alcohol, smoking, etc).
Different acupuncturists will recommend different treatment plans, but in general, treatment should be fairly regular (~3 times/week) for about 3 weeks or so. It's not a one-treatment-and-you're-done approach. Success rates vary ... it's been my experience that patients who genuinely want to quit smoking have a much higher success rate (as you'd probably imagine). Those patients that think "maybe" they're ready to quit, or are trying to quit because of a nagging spouse seem to be less motivated and have a lower success rate.
My patients have reported that acupuncture helps decrease the stress associated with quitting, helps reduce cravings, and helps patients to relax (by means other than smoking a cigarette). Some have reported that the taste of cigarettes changed after receiving acupuncture.
For additional information, you can check out the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association's website (
www.acudetox.com) or you could try contacting an acupuncturist in your area to get specifics (cost, number of treatments, frequency of treatment, etc). Good luck!