Allen Carr

For the film producer and manager with a similar name, see Allan Carr.

For the British Comedian, see Alan Carr.

Allen Carr is most notable as the author of books on how to quit smoking and, as he stresses, escape nicotine addiction . Carr points out that, contrary to their perception, smokers do not receive a boost from smoking a cigarette. Smoking a cigarette only relieves the withdrawal symptoms from the previous cigarette; the withdrawal symptoms arising from the current cigarette will be the prompt for the next. In this way the drug addiction perpetuates itself. He asserts that the relief that smokers feel on lighting a cigarette is continually experienced by non-smokers. He further asserts that smoking is less addictive than is commonly assumed, and that the withdrawal symptoms are in fact simply doubt in the mind of the ex-smoker. Stopping smoking is not as traumatic as commonly assumed if that doubt can be circumvented. His contention is that fear of giving up is what causes the majority to continue smoking.

Many readers appreciate the fact that Carr, who until 1983 was a chain smoker himself, explicitly allows them to carry on smoking while reading the book. A comparatively large group of people have gone public and declared that, after many unsuccessful attempts, it was Carr's book that helped them to stop smoking. The claimed success rate for those using Carr's methods is about 70-90%.

Carr has also written a number of other How to books, on subjects such as losing weight and controlling alcohol consumption.

Ironically, in July 2006 it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 73.

Publications

• The Easyway to Stop Smoking
• The Only Way to Stop Smoking
• Allen Carr's Easyway for Women to Stop Smoking
• Allen Carr's Easyway to Control Alcohol
• Allen Carr's Easyweigh to Lose Weight
• The Easyway to Enjoy Flying
• The Easyway to Stop Worrying
• Allen Carr's Easyway to Be Successful
• The Little Book of Quitting

See also

• Tobacco smoking
• Smoking cessation

External links

• Allen Carr's web site