Because quitting cold turkey may seem unfeasible to most smokers, some resort to other means. From nicotine patches and nicotine gum to quirky methods such as hypnosis, science never ceases to introduce quick fixes. The latest of these methods - that has yet to prove its effectiveness - is laser therapy. Chinese science now claims that two half-hour painless sessions of laser acupuncture can help the heaviest smoker lose that yearning for a cigarette and even be repulsed by the smell of it. "If a smoker tries to quit smoking on his own he suffers from insomnia, so what we do is that we help people sleep normally, Nour Aboulela, head of the Tabac Stop Center for laser therapy, said. "Secondly, three days after the sessions, when a smoker smells cigarettes he or she will get nauseous, she added. Aboulela explained that after therapy, the body will not be able to bear the amount of nicotine it was used to before. "For example, if a smoker consumes two cigarette packs per day, after therapy this rate will decrease to only three cigarettes. Tabac Stop Center is the only center specialized in this type of therapy and has been operating in Egypt for over three years as a branch of the main Tabac Stop Company in Geneva. After the sessions smokers get a one-year membership for a follow up. "Statistics show that a smoker would relapse one or two times before quitting smoking forever, so we have a one year membership in case smokers feel that they want to smoke again, Aboulela, who got her diploma on low level laser therapy from Switzerland, said. She explained that the therapy helps people physically while professionals at the center coach them psychologically to help them fight the urge to smoke. Low level laser therapy (LLLT), also known as cold laser therapy, has been used for 35 years in Europe and America on all kinds of nicotine addiction like cigarettes, shisha, nicotine patches, nicotine gum among others. According to Aboulela, this kind of therapy has been applied on thousands of people around the world, including pregnant women and teenagers without any side effects. "The side effects are said to be rather positive as they help patients feel relaxed and sleep better as well as stimulating metabolism, she said. The center offers weight loss packages, four sessions per month, using the same technique by suppressing the appetite. "Nicotine and food somehow produce the same effects on the brain, they induce and produce endorphins which are known as well-being hormones; laser therapy helps the body release these hormones naturally, Aboulela explained. According to Aboulela, the popularity of this kind of therapy is growing in Egypt. "It goes by word of mouth, one patient quits smoking and a lot of people follow him, she said. Tabac Stop Center8 Taha Hussein St., Apt. 1 Zamalek, Cairo.For more information, visit www.tabac-stop-center.com or call 012 310 2130
