A smoking cigarette is broken through as a symbol for meditation to give up smoking

Study on the effect of meditation on smoking cessation

Aimee C Ruscio et al.

January 2016

Meditation, Pranayama, and more

Andrew J. Waters and three colleagues investigated the practice of meditation as a means of smoking cessation in a randomized, controlled pilot study.

The sample of the EMA study (ecological momentary assessment) consisted of44 adult smokers who were randomly divided into a mindfulness group (n = 24) and a control group (n = 20).

The subjects smoked at will, performed 20 minutes of the respective training each day and reported using a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) immediately after the training for two weeks. In addition, they gave assessments at random times, up to four times a day.

The results showed that the need for cigarettes and the number of cigarettes smoked per day decreased significantly in the mindfulness group compared to the control group.

Based on the self-assessments, the study suggests the effectiveness of meditation as a method for smoking cessation, meaning that the practice could have a supportive function.

The most important information on the study at a glance

Indications: Smoking cessation
Institution: Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
Title: Study on the effect of meditation on smoking cessation
Brief description: Study shows that meditation significantly reduces smoking cravings and cigarette consumption.
Original title: Effect of Brief Mindfulness Practice on Self-Reported Affect, Craving, and Smoking: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Using Ecological Momentary Assessment
Link to the study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25863520/