Photographs of Kate Moss in yesterday's paper showed her with some weird looking plasters in her ears!! It turns out that the plasters are the result of a special acupuncture treatment that is used as an alternative method to treat additions like drink, drugs and cigarettes as well as stress.

What is Auricular Acupuncture?

Auricular Acupuncture refers to acupuncture using points located in the ear. There are 200 points in the ear, seventy of which are in common use. This five point formula treatment has been used successfully for may years in the treatment of addiction, to help with detoxification and to improve general well-being and is relatively easy to teach and administer.

It involves inserting five very small needles into each ear after which the patient relaxes for 40 minutes. The benefits of the treatment are well-researched and documented, they procedure is said to;

1) Greatly reduce cravings

2) Alleviate withdrawal symptoms

3) Reduce stress

4) Lessen hostility

5) Lessen denial

6) Cheaper than pharmaceutical treatment of addition

Background on Auricular Acupuncture

The benefits of the treatment were first identified in the 1970's in Hong Kong and it was then subsequently pioneered in the Lincoln Memorial Hospital, The Bronx, USA. The impact on this inner city facility was immense, with something in the region of 300 patients being treated daily. The treatment was pioneered in this country by SMART UK and it is now the leading teaching organisation offering Auricular Acupuncture training for substance misuse to healthcare professionals here in the UK. Founded by Sue Cox in 1995, SMART UK now has several thousand dedicated members working in prisons, hospitals, community drug and alcohol advice teams etc. and the training continues to be highly sought after.

SUE COX - Founder and Director of SMART UK

A graduate of Traditional Acupuncture and a Post-Graduate Tutor in the field of Addiction, Sue has since gone on to study Chinese Medicine in the United States and Germany. She has over 30 years experience working at different levels within the field of Substance Misuse including counselling, and upon completing her acupuncture training, married this experience with her acupuncture qualifications and created a reputable, professional training programme. Having subsequently spent time in the USA where this work was pioneered and also after visiting several projects in Europe, Sue continues to be a voice of authority in the field of Substance Misuse speaking at conferences around the world. Aside from running her own private practice she also runs the SMART Clinic for addiction, partially funded by the NHS