Brain-zapper aid for ex-smokers

ZAPPING the brain with a mild electric current can help ex-smokers stay off tobacco months after they have quit.

Up to one in five people who wean themselves off cigarettes end up relapsing and smoking again.

But a study at the University Hospital in Dijon, France, found ex-smokers who had regular sessions of external brain stimulation – using a hand-held gadget that sends a gentle current through electrodes attached to the temples – were twice as likely to stay off cigarettes three to six months after stopping than those not having it.

It’s thought the technique works by activating brain cells that dampen down cravings for nicotine.

The machines – known as cranial electrotherapy stimulation devices – are available online from about £150.