Yasmina Kattou
06:10, 31 May 2022modified to
09h07, 31 May 2022
And if the laser was the solution to permanently quit smoking? In France it is estimated that there are approximately 17 million smokers. Each year, cigarettes cause the death of 75,000 people (according to 2019 figures). Tobacco causes asthma, cardiovascular problems and even cancer.
This Tuesday is World No Tobacco Day. In France, it is estimated that there are approximately 17 million smokers. Every year the cigarette causes the death of 75,000 people (according to 2019 figures). Tobacco causes asthma, cardiovascular problems and even cancer. Some are ready to do anything to quit, including trying out unusual techniques.
“I had a little feeling of fullness”
“Laser anti-tobacco centers” promise smokers that in one session, smoking will be a distant memory. Doctors are warning about these supposedly miracle techniques. The cigarette punctuated Kevin’s days for 15 years. The 30-something smoked nearly a pack a day. But he quit overnight after an appointment at an anti-tobacco laser center. Kevin went through a sort of acupuncture session in his ear that would target the addiction nerve endings.
“I had a little feeling of fullness, of joy, as if smoking was a thing of the past. I had tried several times before with the electronic cigarette or with the patches but it hadn’t worked”, he confides at the microphone of Europe 1. Since his session two months ago, Kevin has not touched a single cigarette. However, no scientific study proves the effectiveness of the laser. Daniel Thomas, vice-president of the alliance against tobacco recalls the methods validated by health professionals.
“Smokers should contact their doctor or a tobacco specialist”
“Smokers who wish to quit smoking, they must contact their doctor or a tobacco specialist who will offer them the patches of nicotine as well as certain drugs that remove the urge to smoke when you are in difficulty”, he explains. According to Daniel Thomas, the laser technique only works through the placebo effect and the will to quit smoking.