2023-08-21 10:53:33
AFP 2017-2023. Reproduction rights reserved.
Advertisements boast on social networks, and in particular on Facebook, the “extraordinary” power of magnetic bracelets to quit smoking. But the effectiveness of these bracelets has not been proven and tobacco experts have not seen results with this method. More generally, magnetic therapy, which relies on the power of magnets, has not proven its effectiveness.
“Free yourself from tobacco with ClearStone! Our revolutionary magnetic bracelet helps you quit smoking naturally“, promises an advertisement posted by the company “Medically Health” on July 31 on Facebook. publication garnered over 900 reactions and over 130 comments, like this: “I’ve been wearing it for a few weeks and the urge to smoke lessens over time. I highly recommend !“.
“Medically Health” assures in a video that its obsidian bracelet “naturally stimulates neurotransmitters in the brain to quit smoking without feeling stress“. “It’s the easiest and most effective way to quit smoking.“, says the online sales company.
On his site (archive), “Medically health” met en avant a solution “100% natural” Who “uses high-intensity magnets to stimulate specific areas of the brain and stave off nicotine cravings“. This company also sells an anti-migraine mask to apply to the eyes, or an anti-tear cream, without further explanation of their active ingredients. Contacted by AFP Factual on August 18, “Medically health” indicated that it could not respond to an interview.
Furthermore, from a commercial point of view, this French site does not meet the obligations laid down for online businesses (archive) to display their registration number in the trade and companies register (RCS) and at single national business register (RNE) or individual identification number (the intra-community VAT number) if applicable.
Another advertisement for a magnetic bracelet circulates a lot on Facebook, that of the company Glame, which broadcasts a video shared hundreds of times and with over a thousand comments, from a woman testifying: “I smoked for over 15 years and tried everything to quit without success. But since I discovered the anti-smoking bracelets from Glame, my life has completely changed! In just 6 days, I managed to quit smoking completely.“.
On his site glamefrance.fr (archive), the company sells all kinds of miracle products, such as a “sleep aid device” Who “guarantees falling asleep in 15 minutes“or even a”rejuvenating device“who promises to”regain firm and toned skine”.
Regarding his bracelet “anti-tabac“, Glame assures that “unlike conventional methods which only postpone the problem, the Glame bracelet contains magnets powerful 4,500 Gauss that stimulates specific areas of your brain by a magnetic field, making him believe that he received his usual dose of nicotine“.
Similar advertisements are also circulating in English for American companies that sell the same type of bracelets, such as this one posted on Facebook on July 4. Other bracelets, on sale on Amazon et eBaywere also promoted on TikTok et Twitter.
Screenshot of a Facebook post taken July 27, 2023
Unproven weaning properties
For the Professor Loïc Josseran (archive), public health researcher and president of the alliance against tobacco, interviewed on August 18 by AFP, this method has “no scientific basis“. “Anyone who has ever had an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) exam, for example, can see that it hasn’t stopped them from wanting to smoke!“, he explains, adding “that a magnetic wave has never acted on the nicotine receptors“.
On the other hand, according to the professor, even if the magnets would have an effect on nicotine addiction, “they would not treat the psychological dependence, which with tobacco is enormous“. While the addiction to nicotine disappears in 3 to 4 months of withdrawal, he explains, the psychological dependence on cigarettes “takes several months or even years to disappear“.
Another tobacco specialist interviewed by AFP on August 18, Marie Van der Schueren, tobaccologist at Caen University Hospital (archive), also judges that “it’s marketing, to my knowledge no scientific study has shown the effectiveness of this method“. But, she believes, “like all ineffective methods, this one will perhaps help 5 to 10% of users to quit, those who are not addicted and could have quit on their own“.
(AFP / ANDREJ IVANOV)
This is also the opinion of Professor Josseran, who comments on the enthusiastic opinions of some users of online magnetic bracelets: “unfortunately we will find testimonials from people to say that it works, and among them some very sincere, because the placebo effect can be enough for someone who was already very mature in their approach to quitting smoking“.
A method not approved by the US FDA
In the United States, the drug agency, the Food and drug administration (archive) did not validate the magnetic bracelet method among the reliable methods for smoking cessation.
“I have never heard of these bracelets and, to my knowledge, there is no research validating this method.“, told AFP on July 24 Nancy Rigotti (archive) head of the Center for Tobacco Research and Treatment at Massachusetts Hospital.
The FDA advises nicotine replacement therapy like patches, gum and sprays, and repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).
rTMS is performed in a hospital using powerful magnets placed in a helmet. This method has proven itself in depression in particular, but for smoking cessation it is still under study in France according to Inserm, which details in This item of 2020 (archive): “the idea is to modulate neuronal excitability in specific regions of the cerebral cortex whose functioning is altered by addiction. Many protocols are under evaluation or about to be evaluated“.
But the magnetotherapy promoted by sellers of magnetic bracelets is not scientifically recognized, as recalled This item of Science and Life which explains that the only magnets which have achieved relative efficiency are “those that produce a variable magnetic field (or “pulsed”, connected to an electrical source) (…) to promote the healing of unhealed fractures. In 2013, the Cochrane collaboration concluded that they also reduced osteoarthritis pain by 15 points (on a scale of 0 to 100).“.
In France, magnetic therapy, like other “alternative” or alternative medicine, is not subject to any scientific or institutional recognition.
The will is not enough against an addiction “extremely strong”
Nearly a third of French people smoke. These figures, the latest to date, show that tobacco consumption is no longer falling after years of sharp decline, according to a study (archive) published in May under the aegis of the French Public Health Agency, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day.
The study also shows that tobacco consumption remains significantly higher among French people with the lowest incomes (a third of them smoke daily) despite a small rebound among the wealthiest.
According to Dr. Van der Schuerer, “it is first of all the people in financial precariousness who will be the most tempted by the ‘miracle’ methods” like the magnetic bracelet, due to the constant increase in the price of tobacco. The economic argument is also put forward on these online sales sites such as “Medically Health” which calculates: “If you smoke a $10 pack a day, that works out to $300 a month and $3,650 a year. In just 5 years, you will save €18,250!”.
( AFP / LOIC VENANCE)
“The problem is that we sell them methods that will not be effective and will not give them any comfort, because the addiction to cigarettes is extremely strong and often requires support”, regrets the specialist.
“By being accompanied, we avoid as much as possible weight gain, irritability“, she details. “People think it’s a problem of willpower, they don’t see that tobacco addiction is a chronic disease, which they usually developed from adolescence“.
Tabacologists recommend turning to a health professional: specialist doctor, general practitioner, pharmacist or even nurse, to be prescribed a nicotine substitute, reimbursed at 65% by health insurance.
“Even follow-up by phone, by calling 3639 or on the website tabac info service (archive) can really help“, assures Mr. Josseran, who recommends for psychological support to turn to the French association of behavioral and cognitive therapy, which lists on son site well-trained professionals”again to avoid charlatans“.
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