The use of alternative medicine for smoking cessation have been increasing 
steadily in recent years. A series of clinical group studies was performed to 
clarify the effect, outcome and success rate of an acupuncture treatment for 
smoking cessation. 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.