In the past three years 10,000 people in Poland and Ireland have undergone the therapy, and, it has been 85 per cent effective after just one session. A further four per cent needed a second session....

Mandy Kriester, in charge of my treatment, asked me to smoke two-thirds of a cigarette and put the ash in a beaker. I then had to stub the remaining third out in the beaker and also spit into it. The beaker, in theory, contained all the information needed for the Bicom to work out the "energy pattern" of my nicotine addiction.

Then copper plates were rested on my legs and wired to the Bicom. I rested a hand on each plate, and Miss Kriester flicked a switch. I started to feel a tingling sensation.

"That's the energy pathways opening themselves up," Miss Kriester said. Then she changed the frequency - "stepping it up a gear" to prepare me for the detox. By this time I felt tired, which I was assured was quite normal. "You should expect to feel fatigue in the first 24 hours," Miss Kriester said. "Also you might have a slight headache and dizziness. Just make sure you keep drinking water."

For this session I had a headband containing electrodes in addition to plates for my hands. Miss Kriester said that although the treatment should take me physically back to being a non-smoker, mentally it would have no effect: "It is still down to you to make sure you don't pick up a cigarette."

As I was just about to leave Miss Kriester stopped me. "Nina, one last thing. Could I have your box of cigarettes? For the first couple of hours you need to keep away from temptation." I grudgingly gave up my packet, which had seven cigarettes left in it.

Hours passed. I was very restless, continually needing water. Walking home, at the point when I would normally light up a cigarette, I was happy to go without. Kicking off my sandals when I got home I looked down at my feet and they were black. My curiosity led me to sniff my shoes: they smelt of tobacco. Unbelievably, the nicotine seemed to be coming out of every pore in my body. I had a bath, but after a good hour of soaking, the water had turned grey and murky.

The following evening I had drinks with two friends who are heavy smokers, but still I was not tempted.

Then came two of the most demanding weeks of my journalistic life to date: covering Live 8, and then the London bombings. I've been stressed, tired, and often in the company of chain-smoking journalists, but not once have I felt the urge to light up.