Smoking and tobacco use are one of the world's greatest public health threats and a leading cause of death and disease. We can prevent this.
Smoking is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, lung disease and heart disease. A smoker is at risk of developing lung cancer 7 times greater than a non-smoker.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that tobacco use causes the death of around 7 million people per year worldwide. More than 6 million of these deaths are directly related to tobacco use while around 0.9 million occur in passive smoking. According to WHO, Indonesia is the country with the 3rd highest number of smokers in the world after China and India.
Even though there are various policies and methods related to smoking cessation at present, it is difficult for smokers to quit, especially because the nicotine content in tobacco is highly addictive in addition to other psychosocial factors. This nicotine addiction or addiction makes it difficult for smokers to quit smoking.
Currently recommended smoking cessation therapy methods include drugs, nicotine replacement therapy, hypnosis, education, behavioral interventions, and acupuncture.
Acupuncture is a therapeutic modality in the form of inserting fine needles at acupuncture points to produce beneficial effects on the body.
The benefits of acupuncture to overcome addiction are things that are not widely known by the public. The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) developed a protocol for earlobe acupuncture to treat addiction symptoms. Many scientific studies have been conducted to examine the effects of acupuncture to treat various kinds of addictions including nicotine addiction in smokers.
Acupuncture can play an important role in smoking cessation by suppressing addiction symptoms and reducing withdrawal symptoms. The effects of acupuncture can also improve mood (mood) and better sleep quality.
Acupuncture is a simple action, relatively safe with minimal side effects, and does not require a large amount of money. Acupuncture therapy can be combined with other smoking cessation therapies which are expected to increase the success of therapy.
Quitting smoking at any time will benefit the health of a person as well as society.
Article written by dr. Irman, Sp.Ak (Acupuncture Specialist at EMC Alam Sutera Hospital).