For more than a quarter century, acupuncture has been used in the United States to help people loose their cravings for alcohol, nicotine, and other addictive substances. There is excellent physiological and clinical evidence to support the use of auricular acupuncture (ear acupuncture) in lessening symptoms brought on by withdrawal, including: depression, anxiety, cravings, body aches, headaches, nausea, sweating, muscle cramps, and other physical withdrawal symptoms. It is possible to alleviate some withdrawal symptoms experienced by people giving up smoking, drugs, or alcohol by raising levels of endorphins in the nervous system. It is clear that endorphin levels throughout the nervous system can be increased by acupuncture. It must be stressed that acupuncture cannot replace willpower. It can only help with withdrawal symptoms experienced by those already motivated and committed to solving their particular problem. The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) is a nonprofit organization that has been established to teach and annually recertify practitioners who utilize the auricular acupuncture detox protocol. Constance Rigney, L.Ac is a NADA member in good standing..