Allen Carr

From Freepedia

Allen Carr is the author of a number of How to books, in particular books on how to quit smoking and, as he stresses, escape nicotine addiction. Carr points out that smokers do not receive a boost from smoking a cigarette. In fact, smoking a cigarette only partially relieves the withdrawal symptoms from the previous cigarette - and the current cigarette's withdrawal symptoms will prompt the next to be lit. In this way the drug addiction perpetuates itself. Carr 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. Carr's 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 going through 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 kick the habit once and for all. The claimed success rate for those using Carr's methods is 90%.

Carr has also written books on other subjects such as losing weight.