Using A Laser To Kick The Habit

Thursday, November 15th 2007, 11:46 am

By: News On 6

The Great American Smokeout was on Thursday. And, many smokers were vowing to kick the habit. There are a number of items from patches to pills which might help. The News On 6â€™s Latoya Silmon reports a Tulsa day spa is also offering a type of laser therapy to help smokers quit.

It's a habit that can be hard to break.

â€œIt's more addicting than anything else that we have, more than heroin and cocaine, more than caffeine, I think,â€ said Dr. Ty Stansill of Tulsa..

But, Anne Bagby was determined to stop smoking.

â€œAfter 38 years of my husband griping at me, it finally got to me and probably just more health reasons to finally go ahead and take the plunge,â€ said quitting smoker, Anne Bagby.

She came to New Beginnings Laser Therapy to nix her fix. It's an alternative to pills and patches.

â€œWe use a low-level laser and target the tender points, kind of like acupuncture, and it takes away the physical craving for nicotine,â€ said Katie Keiner with New Beginnings.

Anne Bagby began the treatment in September. She says since then she's picked up a few cigarettes, but found smoking to be a drag.

â€œThey're right the craving is gone. Whenever you leave here and if you do try one, they don't taste the same,â€ said Anne Bagby, whoâ€™s quitting smoking.

Katie Keiner says Anne is just one of thousands New Beginnings has helped quit smoking since the spa opened three years ago. But, not everyone is convinced.

â€œIt's always possible that this works. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but you need a study and I didn't find that when I was looking it up, but if you decide something is going to work it's going to work. We've proven time and time again that the placebo affect is huge,â€ said Dr. Ty Stansill.

Doctor Ty Stansill with Utica Park Clinic recommends traditional ways to stop smoking like counseling and prescription medication.

It's a route Anne bypassed and with no regrets. She says New Beginnings gave her a fresh start.

By the way, that fresh start costs $299. New Beginnings says it includes as many treatments as needed for six months.

Watch the video: Laser Treatment To Terminate Smoking Habit