Crushing Virtual Cigarettes Helps Smokers Quit

article image

A virtual reality video game where participants crush virtual cigarettes may help people quit smoking. In a study from the Universite du Quebec, highlighted by IEEE Spectrum, 91 smokers were randomly assigned to two video games–one involving grasping at orbs and the other centered around crushing cigarettes. Both groups were given minimal therapy. After six months, the cigarette crushers were twice as likely to have quit smoking than the control group. Now a question remains about how to get people to play what sounds like a mind-numbingly dull game about crushing cigarettes.

Source: IEEE Spectrum (Article not available online)

UTNE
UTNE
In-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.