Early studies on the effects of acupuncture have reported encouraging success. In 1982, a study by Fuller boasted a success rate of 95% in the first few months, and in 1983, another study by Choy reported a 88% success rate. However, subsequent studies have revealed inconsistent findings, and various reports have attempted to critique the efficacy of acupuncture based on different research data.

Of all the aversion techniques, rapid smoking has been the only one shown to be effective in over 12 research studies. It leads to significantly lower urges to smoke in the immeidate 24 hours and this effect lasts up to 1 week. However at 4 weeks, there was only a very minor decrease in smoking urge compared to self paced smoking or the cold turkey no smoking technique.

A recent study published in the journal ‘Addiction’ showed that even short bouts of exercise lasting as little as 5 minutes can reduce smoking cravings. Experts at the University of Exeter concluded that exercise can help smokers manage their withdrawal symptoms and even help them resist the urge to smoke by releasing the same chemicals in the brain that is released during smoking.