I’ve seen commercials on TV and heard them on the radio that claim that laser therapy can assist you in quiting smoking.
How would such a program treat you?
Do they use something made in the 1920’s?
Is there a laser mounted on a headband that’s aimed at your eyes activated by a smoke detector?
Do they cauterise your lips together for a few weeks?
What?
I heard those commercials and kept meaning to ask someone here. I glad someone else remembered too. As for cauterising your lips, maybe, they did say it was non-invasive (which made it sound even stranger).
It sounds snarkier than I mean it to be, but I think laser therapy helps you quit smoking in much the same way acupuncture, hypnosis or those “subliminal tapes” that were all the rage in to 80s do: suggestion.
I figured they got Dr Evil to sit in the corner of your room with a giant frickin’ “laser” and blast you with it if he saw you reaching for the Marlboros… it would work for me.
But are the frickin’ lasers mounted on the heads of sharks?
I always wondered why the didn’t have smoking rehabs like they do with drugs and alcohol.
It’s acupuncture without the needles.
Exactly. And hell, I can perform “acupuncture without the needles” on you from right here where I sit.
pause
See? Didn’t hurt a bit. Now go, and smoke no more. :rolleyes: 
I’d switch to Camels.
“Do you expect me to talk?”
“No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to stop smoking.”
“If I fail to report, Double Oh Eight wil…er, what?”
Stanger
After spending hundreds of dollars on laser therapy, you’ll give up just so you don’t have to admit to yourself and your friends that it was a complete waste of money.
In drug and alcohol rehab centers, the main pleasure they allow patients is smoking and it is often the only place in the hospital with a dedicated vented room for smoking. Almost everyone smokes like a chimney even if they didn’t smoke much before because it is the main recreational activity in a locked or restricted ward.
Detox and often rehab are often just used for people with alcohol, benzodiazepine, barbiturate, and opiate withdrawal because self-detoxing is medically dangerous and can result in death (not usually for opiates though even though it presents some medical problems). Detoxing from stimulants like cocaine, crack, meth, and nicotine are not generally dangerous from the short-term so they aren’t usually considered medically serious and insurance won’t usually cover it. Detox centers won’t usually take those addicts either so many get extremely drunk and fake an alcohol withdrawal to get admiited.
That isn’t to downplay how hard it is to stop stimulants. I quit smoking at age 19 and it was an incredible 5 day bitch followed by a longer abusive mistress. Fortunately, unlike during the day, there are now things like Zyban and nicotine patches to help people. I have experienced quitting cold turkey and that is not a nice thing. However, I can’t see insurance companies paying for it or people handing over money themselves for something that is very expensive, isn’t life threatening, and will probably not work the first time.
Nope, but we did get some ill-tempered sea bass.