BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking is still a worldwide health risk. Current 
pharmacotherapies have at best, a success rate of no more than 50%. Auricular 
(ear) acupressure has been purported to be beneficial in achieving smoking 
cessation in some studies, while in others has been deemed insignificant. We 
hereby describe the protocol for a three-arm randomised controlled trial to 
examine the possible benefits of self-administered acupressure for smoking 
cessation.
METHODS: Sixty consenting participants with confirmed habit of tobacco smoking 
will be recruited and randomized into three arms to receive either auricular 
acupressure at five true acupoints (NADA protocol), auricular acupressure at 
five sham points, or no auricular acupressure at all. Participants having 
auricular acupressure will exert firm pressure to each acupoint bilaterally via 
the bead in the attached plasters whenever they feel the urge to smoke. The 
treatment phase will last for six weeks during which all participants will be 
assessed weekly to review their smoking log, state of abstinence, end-exhalation 
carbon monoxide levels and possible adverse effects including withdrawal 
reactions and stress levels. At any time, a successful quit date will be defined 
with continuous abstinence for the following consecutive 7 days. From then on, 
participants will be evaluated individually for continuous abstinence rate 
(CAR), end-exhalation carbon monoxide levels and adverse effects of stress and 
withdrawal at specified intervals up to 26 weeks. Expectancy of treatment will 
be assessed with a four-item Borkovec and Nau self-assessment credibility scale 
during and after intervention.
DISCUSSION: We incorporate validated outcome measures of smoking cessation into 
our randomised controlled trial design with the objectives to evaluate the 
feasibility and possible benefits of self-administered auricular acupressure as 
a non-invasive alternative to pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01389622 (registered Jul 7 2011).