BACKGROUND: In complementary medicine literature studies on long-term 
observation of one of its methods are rare.
OBJECTIVE: The present study is an evaluation of the smoking behavior of 
patients treated with ear acupuncture for smoking cessation. Additionally we 
investigated factors that favor or impede smoking cessation.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: 249 patients who had undergone ear acupuncture for smoking 
cessation between 1985 and 1998 in a practice in Aarau (Switzerland) were asked 
before the first treatment to fill in a form regarding their smoking behavior 
and retrospectively in autumn 1998 a questionnaire regarding the success of 
therapy. Ear acupuncture treatment consisted of 2 consultations at an interval 
of 10 days. The responder rate was 53.8% (134 questionnaires were returned). 
Finally the data of 126 persons could be evaluated.
RESULTS: The Kaplan Meier analysis of the abstinence time yielded a one-year 
success rate of 41.1%. Men gave up smoking more easily than women. Start of 
smoking as well as start of treatment between the age of 20 and 40 years were 
favorable conditions for smoking cessation. People who had smoked 20 cigarettes 
or more per day before treatment profited the best. For people who smoked as a 
way of passing the time or because of tediousness it was easier to stop smoking 
than for people smoking because of nervousness. People living in a non-smoker 
household were able to stop smoking significantly easier than persons living in 
a smoker household.
CONCLUSIONS: With a one-year success rate of 41.1% ear acupuncture is a 
competitive alternative to orthodox medicine withdrawal methods. Acupuncture 
treatment can be applied and adapted individually, furthermore it is economical 
and without side effects.