Allen Carr's Stop Smoking Now

1. Smoking is a Nicotine Addiction, Not Just a Habit.

Nicotine, a colourless, oily compound, is the drug contained in tobacco that addicts you to smoking.

It's a drug addiction. Nicotine is one of the fastest addictive drugs known, hooking you with just one cigarette. Each puff delivers a rapid dose to the brain, and levels drop quickly, creating a subtle withdrawal that most smokers don't even recognize as addiction. This cycle of withdrawal and temporary relief is the core mechanism.

Feeding the monster. This withdrawal creates an empty, insecure feeling – the "Little Nicotine Monster" – that demands to be fed. Smokers continue primarily to relieve this feeling, which was caused by the previous cigarette. It's a self-perpetuating chain.

Not a mere habit. Calling smoking a "habit" is a dangerous misconception. Habits are easy to break if you choose to (like brushing your teeth before vs. after showering). Addiction means the drug controls you, not the other way around.

2. The Real Trap is Mental Brainwashing, Not Physical Pain.

Your addiction to smoking is 1% physical and 99% mental.

The physical is subtle. The physical withdrawal from nicotine is so slight it's barely noticeable, often described as a small itch or an empty feeling. It's not the terrible trauma smokers imagine. This physical part, the "Little Nicotine Monster," dies quickly once the nicotine supply is cut off.

The mental is powerful. The true difficulty lies in the "Big Monster" in your mind – the brainwashing from society, advertising, and other smokers that convinces you cigarettes are a pleasure, a crutch, or necessary for coping. This brainwashing interprets the slight physical withdrawal as a desperate need or desire.

Destroy the Big Monster. Escaping the trap requires dismantling this mental conditioning. Willpower alone cannot fight a belief system; it only creates a conflict. Understanding the illusion is the key to removing the desire entirely.

3. Cigarettes Offer No Genuine Pleasure or Crutch.

The greatest irony about smoking is that the enjoyment that the smoker gets from a cigarette is the pleasure of trying to get back to the state of peace, tranquillity and confidence that his body had before he got hooked in the first place.

An illusion of relief. Smokers believe cigarettes help them relax, concentrate, relieve boredom, or handle stress. In reality, they only temporarily relieve the stress and emptiness caused by the withdrawal from the previous cigarette. Non-smokers don't experience this self-inflicted stress in the first place.

Like tight shoes. The perceived "pleasure" is akin to wearing tight shoes just for the relief of taking them off. You create the discomfort (withdrawal) and then get temporary relief by addressing it (smoking). This isn't genuine pleasure; it's ending a self-imposed aggravation.

No real benefit. Smoking doesn't enhance meals, drinks, or social occasions; it detracts from them by creating a constant underlying need. The idea that certain cigarettes are "special" (like the first one of the day or after a meal) is because they follow a period of abstinence, making the relief of withdrawal more noticeable.

4. Fear is the Primary Force Keeping You Hooked.

The force that makes drug addicts continue to destroy themselves and lead lives of misery – the force we call addiction – is FEAR!

Fear of quitting. Smokers are terrified of the perceived trauma of stopping, the misery, irritability, and the belief that they will suffer withdrawal pangs forever. This fear often prevents them from even trying.

Fear of life without. They also fear being unable to enjoy life, cope with stress, or concentrate without their perceived crutch. This fear is a direct result of the brainwashing, not reality. Non-smokers enjoy life and handle stress perfectly well.

Fear outweighs reality. This groundless fear of stopping is so powerful that it outweighs the very real dangers of continuing to smoke:

• Health risks (No.1 killer, cancer, heart disease, etc.)
• Financial cost (£100,000+ over a lifetime)
• Slavery and loss of control
• Self-loathing and stigma

5. Willpower and Substitutes Reinforce the Illusion of Sacrifice.

Trying to quit on the willpower method is terrible and you don’t know how long the ordeal will last.

Willpower creates conflict. The willpower method involves fighting the perceived desire to smoke using sheer determination. This creates a mental tug-of-war: the rational mind wants to stop, but the addicted mind believes it's giving up a pleasure or crutch, leading to feelings of deprivation and misery.

Substitutes prolong addiction. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) like patches or gum, and non-nicotine substitutes like sweets or gum, fail because they don't address the mental addiction. NRT keeps the physical addiction alive, while all substitutes reinforce the belief that you are giving something up and need something else to fill the void.

Perpetuating misery. Both willpower and substitutes prolong the feeling of deprivation and the belief that smoking provides a benefit. This makes the process torturous and increases the likelihood of relapse, reinforcing the myth that quitting is difficult.

6. Casual Smoking and Cutting Down Are Dangerous Illusions.

There’s no such thing as one cigarette.

The trap of control. Smokers envy casual smokers, believing they have the best of both worlds – enjoying cigarettes without the heavy consequences. This is a delusion; no smoker is truly in control. Casual smokers are still addicts, constantly battling their craving and reinforcing the illusion that cigarettes are precious.

Cutting down backfires. Trying to cut down makes quitting harder, not easier. It increases the perceived value of each cigarette by making you wait for it, prolongs the period of withdrawal, and keeps the addiction alive. It's a form of self-torture that rarely leads to stopping permanently.

All smokers are trapped. Whether you smoke 60 a day or 2 a day, you are in the nicotine trap. Casual smokers often live in fear of becoming heavy smokers, while heavy smokers envy the casual smoker's perceived control. Both are miserable and wish they had never started.

7. There is No "Addictive Personality"; Anyone Can Quit.

It’s the drug that addicts you, not your personality.

A convenient excuse. The idea of an "addictive personality" is a myth used to explain why people struggle to quit. It implies some inherent flaw, making smokers feel helpless. However, addiction is a process anyone can fall into when exposed to an addictive drug.

Historical evidence. The fact that smoking rates have drastically changed over generations (e.g., over 80% of UK men smoked in the 1940s vs. under 25% today) shows that addiction is linked to drug availability and societal factors, not a fixed personality trait. You didn't need nicotine before you started.

Symptoms, not causes. Physical traits like grey complexion or lethargy are symptoms of poisoning, not indicators of an addictive personality. Once you quit, these symptoms disappear, and you recover physically and mentally.

8. Quitting is Easy and Enjoyable When You Understand the Trap.

IT IS EASY TO STOP IF YOU GO ABOUT IT IN THE RIGHT WAY.

Remove the desire. Allen Carr's Easyway focuses on removing the desire to smoke by dismantling the brainwashing. Once you truly understand that cigarettes do nothing for you and are your enemy, there is no feeling of deprivation or sacrifice.

Embrace freedom. You become a non-smoker the moment you extinguish your final cigarette, provided you are certain you will never smoke again. This certainty comes from understanding the trap, not from waiting for cravings to disappear.

Enjoy the process. Instead of dreading quitting, approach it with excitement and elation. Every moment you don't smoke is a moment of freedom and a step towards a healthier, happier life. Triggers become reminders of how wonderful it is to be free.

9. You Gain Everything and Give Up Nothing by Quitting.

You are sacrificing nothing, just making marvellous positive gains.

No sacrifice made. The biggest misconception is that quitting involves giving up a pleasure or crutch. By understanding that this is an illusion, you realize you are not losing anything of value.

Countless gains. The benefits of quitting are immense and immediate:

• Improved health and energy
• Significant financial savings
• Freedom from slavery and control
• Increased confidence and self-respect
• End to self-loathing and guilt
• Better taste, smell, and overall quality of life

A positive transformation. Quitting is not a period of mourning for a lost friend; it's a celebration of escaping a terrible enemy. You are not filling a void; you are removing the cause of the void.

Last updated: May 27, 2025