PITTSBURGH -- Every year, smoking and smokeless tobacco use kills more people than car crashes, murder, suicide and AIDS combined.

The smoking habit can be one of the hardest habits to break. But acupuncture is helping many people put down those cigarettes.

Jennifer Whiteside is an acupuncturist in Allegheny General Hospital's integrated medicine department.

She said the ancient art is very successful in helping people quit smoking.

"Most people will tell me they have reduced their smoking in half. So, if they were a pack a day they were smoking a half a pack without even trying," Whiteside said.

It worked even better for Linda Garrod. After almost 30 years of smoking she quit after just one acupuncture treatment.

Garrod said, "I had no desire to smoke. It really alleviated all the stress and all the cravings. It was as if I could go through the day without having the urge to smoke."

Aggie Pollice had a similar response.
"It started working immediately after the first treatment," Pollice said.

And if needles make you cringe, don't worry.

Garrod said, "It doesn't hurt, really."

"There's no pain whatsoever and it's very relaxing," Pollice said.

Whiteside inserts tiny single use sterilized needles in the ear and wrist.

"The points that are used are stimulating different systems in the body that reflect the different organ system. They are in effect stimulating the body to detox and get rid of the nicotine from the body," Whiteside said.

The person rests with the needles in for about a half hour. After the needles come out, tiny stainless steel balls on a sticker are applied.

Whiteside said to a patient, "I'm going to put five in each ear to continue to stimulate those points that help detox your body also help to reduce the cravings."

And acupuncture seems very effective at curbing the craving for a cigarette.

Garrod said, "I had no desire to smoke. It alleviated all the stress and all the cravings."

Some people need only one acupuncture treatment, others may need more.

How well and how quickly acupuncture works also depends on how motivated a person is to quit smoking.

Whiteside said, "If you give them a treatment that cuts the cravings and they are all ready not to pick up during their habitual times, they're going to quit."

Both women return for occasional acupuncture treatments just to make sure they don't feel the urge to pick up a cigarette.