Acupuncture and hypnosis in getting smokers to quit

I refer to the Reuters news item, ‘Want to quit smoking? Try acupuncture and hypnosis’ (The Sunday Times, May 13).

The Cochrane Collaboration (www.cochrane.org) is an organisation which reviews scientific clinical trials (known as randomised controlled studies) to provide the best evidence for health care.

A 2011 review of 33 studies “did not find consistent evidence that active acupuncture or related techniques increased the numberof people who could successfully quit smoking”.

Another review of 11 studies in 2010 concluded that “although it is possible that hypnotherapy could be as effective as counselling treatment, there is not enough good evidence to be certain of this”.