Pacific College of Oriental Medicine News & Events

When the Ten Thousand Things are seen in their Oneness, We return to the Origin where we have always been. - Sengtan

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Oriental Medicine Newspaper

NEWS RELEASE

April 2, 2004

For More Information Contact: Rebecca Wilkowski, Phone: (800) 729-0941

Kicking the Habit with Acupuncture During World No Tobacco Day

Did you know if you're a smoker, you'll gain almost immediate benefits as soon as you quit, regardless of your age? Within 20 minutes, blood pressure and pulse rates drop to normal. Eight hours after quitting, the oxygen level in the blood increases to normal. One day after quitting, the odds of having a heart attack start to drop. Within 48 hours, nerve endings start regrowing and the ability to smell and taste is enhanced. Within two weeks, lung function will have increased by up to 30 percent. Two weeks to three months after quitting, circulation improves and walking becomes easier. After one year, the body's energy level increases and the risk of coronary heart disease will be half that of a smoker.

On World No Tobacco Day May 31, thousands of smokers will try to kick the habit. The 3,000-year-old practice of Chinese Medicine may be one way to make it easier for smokers to put down their cigarettes. The Pacific College Clinic utilizes auricular (ear) acupuncture, where four to five very small needles are inserted into points corresponding to the lung, kidney and nervous system. It is thought that these needles increase the flow of endorphins, morphine-like hormones that induce a deep state of relaxation. This state is prolonged and leads to a lessening of cravings for nicotine and other drugs.

Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the U.S., says the American Cancer Society, but each year it kills more Americans than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, suicides, murders and fires combined. According to the American Lung Association, smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 440,000 American lives each year. Cigarettes and cigarette smoke contain over 4,000 chemicals, including 60 known to cause cancer. Smoking greatly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, heart disease, asthma, and women's reproductive disorders.

For individuals truly motivated to stop smoking, acupuncture can be just the help they need. For more information or to make an appointment, please call the college's clinic at (619) 574-6932 in San Diego or (212) 982-4600 in New York. ###