A successful accountant by trade Allen Carr was a chain-smoker for 33 years and by his own description he was also a “serial quitter”. He found quitting tough, but staying quit even tougher. Then on July 15th 1983 after countless failed attempts to stop, he went from 100 a day to zero, instantly, permanently and painlessly. He realised that he had discovered what all smokers dream of…. an easy way to get free!

Shortly afterwards he set up the first Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking clinic in Raynes Park London. The phenomenal success of his method saw his business and reputation quickly expand around the world. Today he is widely regarded as the world’s leading expert on helping smokers to quit and his ever-expanding network of clinics now spans the globe.

In 1985 he responded to overwhelming demand for his seminars by publishing his method in book format. Today “Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking” is an international best seller published in over 30 languages. With more than 12 million copies sold, it is easily the most successful book ever written on stopping smoking. It currently sells at a rate of around 1 million copies per year.

Later, when he realised that his method would also prove effective in dealing with other problems, he published The Easyway to Control Alcohol and The Easyweigh to Lose Weight.

In July 2006 Allen was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Allen was philosophical: "If I hadn't quit smoking, I'd have died over twenty years ago. These last 23 years have been the most enjoyable of my life - I wouldn't change a thing."

Allen died on November 29th, 2006. Thousands of messages from grateful ex-smokers flooded allencarr.com bulletin boards. Major media, including the BBC, the New York Times, The Economist, Washington Post, Forbes, the British Medical Journal, the New England Journal of Medicine and the Harvard Medical Review, published his obituary.

The Economist said it best. Their headline read:
"Allen Carr: Saviour of smokers"