What is laser quit smoking? What a session involves

Cold laser therapy, also called low-level laser therapy, is what LaserQuit Therapy sells as a paid alternative for people who want to quit smoking or vaping. LaserQuit's how-it-works page describes it this way: “This is a "Cold Laser" (Low-Level Laser Therapy).” The Cleveland Clinic health library lists "Cold laser therapy" among the other names for red light therapy.

A LaserQuit session applies the laser to three areas, named on the clinic's how-it-works page: the ears, under "Auricular Therapy"; the hands and wrists, under "Meridian Points"; and the face and nose, under "Sinus & Stress". Three areas, not more.

What a session may involve afterward

The pricing page lists three temporary effects that it says may follow a session: "Restlessness at night (can be treated with Melatonin)"; "Temporary fatigue (can be treated with Vitamin B)"; "Coughing (lung clearing) or sinus drainage".

Booking, and what to ask the clinic

Every city page carries the same notice: "This Location is By Appointment Only, Do Not Walk In", and "All LaserQuit locations are appointment-only . You must choose your protocol and pay online first , your appointment is confirmed after payment. Walk-ins cannot be accommodated and will be turned away." Ask the clinic how long your appointment will run, and confirm the spacing for your protocol with the clinic when you book.

What Canada's guideline says

Canada's preventive-health guideline body defines laser therapy inside the recommendation that names it, and the certainty travels with the definition. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, 2025 guideline on tobacco smoking cessation in adults:

“We recommend against several alternative interventions (strong recommendation, very low to low certainty of effect estimates across interventions): [...] Laser therapy (applying low level lasers to specific anatomical locations)”

The Task Force recommends against laser therapy for smoking cessation because the certainty of the evidence is very low to low, not because laser therapy has been shown not to work, and not because it has been shown to be harmful. The Cochrane systematic review of 38 studies, published in 2014, concluded:

“Although pooled estimates suggest possible short-term effects there is no consistent, bias-free evidence that acupuncture, acupressure, or laser therapy have a sustained benefit on smoking cessation for six months or more. However, lack of evidence and methodological problems mean that no firm conclusions can be drawn.”

What the health library says about red light therapy generally

The Cleveland Clinic page is about red light therapy predominantly for skin conditions, and smoking cessation appears neither in its list of established uses nor in its list of uses being investigated. That is a fact about that page on the date it was retrieved and is not a finding about smoking cessation in either direction.

The same page states how far the evidence has got: "Most experts say that they don't know yet if RLT is effective for all its claimed uses. Most say that the studies published so far show some potential for certain conditions, but that more studies need to be conducted. Red light therapy is still an emerging treatment that's generating growing interest. But at this point in time, there's not enough evidence to support most uses."

On the safety of red light therapy generally, the Cleveland Clinic health library states: "Red light therapy appears to be safe and isn't associated with any side effects, at least, if used short-term and as directed. This therapy isn't toxic, not invasive and not as harsh as some topical skin treatments. Unlike the cancer-causing ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or tanning booths, RLT doesn't use this type of light." The same passage continues: "However, if products are misused — perhaps used too often or not according to directions — there's a chance your skin or eyes (if not protected) could be damaged. The long-term safety of devices that use red light therapy isn't yet known."

Sources

For what low-level laser therapy is:

For what a LaserQuit session involves:

Last checked 2026-09-26