New application has proved effective for stopping smoking

A Japanese university and a medical company said Thursday that a telephone app they have developed has proven effective to help people stay away from smoking.

Keio University and CureApp Inc said they plan to get the government's approval for the app as a medical tool perhaps for launching in the coming spring, so its use in combating nicotine addiction can be covered under the public health insurance system.

Application allows a patient to record carbon monoxide levels in his breathing, measured with a special device, along with other health conditions.

The application also offers medical advice that fits the patients ' situation.

Tokyo-based subjects conducted app tests for about 570 people who sought medical assistance in 31 medical institutions in the country from October 2017 to the end of 2018.

They found that 64 percent of patients using the app stopped smoking six months later, about 13 percent more than the group that had stopped smoking.

By providing support outside the hospitals, the app helps patients combat the battle currently against nicotine addiction, they said.