This is an excellent, concise review of Allen's most famous book from YouCanStopSmokingNow.net
You can read hundreds more reviews from people who have quit using Allen's simple, drug-free method at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Showing posts with label easy way to stop smoking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easy way to stop smoking. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thirteen years of hell
At our NYC seminar on Sunday we had an attendee who has been smoke-free using willpower for 13 years. It was heart-wrenching. She said that every single day had been a struggle and that it had several times driven her into a deep depression. For 13 years she felt miserable and deprived. She was a wreck.
Her sister quit easily with my colleague Cyrill Argast in Switzerland and recommended us to her. Today we received from her one of the loveliest emails we have ever got. "After 13 years at long last I have no desire to smoke. You put sunshine in my heart; I don't know how else to describe it. Merci!"
13 years? I wouldn't have lasted 13 minutes!
To become a happy non-smoker, not an ex-smoker with constant cravings, visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Her sister quit easily with my colleague Cyrill Argast in Switzerland and recommended us to her. Today we received from her one of the loveliest emails we have ever got. "After 13 years at long last I have no desire to smoke. You put sunshine in my heart; I don't know how else to describe it. Merci!"
13 years? I wouldn't have lasted 13 minutes!
To become a happy non-smoker, not an ex-smoker with constant cravings, visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Colleen Rusholme's first anniversary
Congratulations to EZ-Rock's Colleen Rusholme who today celebrates her first anniversary of quitting smoking.
I met Colleen through her colleague, "Humble" Howard Glassman, who quit smoking with us five years ago next month. On air he publicly challenged Colleen - a pretty hardcore smoker - to quit smoking and Colleen, never one to shirk a challenge, accepted. I felt this was a very brave move on Colleen's part, particularly as she was experiencing many of the fears that most smokers have whenever they think about quitting ("The cigarette has always been there for me. I'll be losing my best friend!"), let alone the additional pressure of doing it in front of hundreds of thousands of listeners.
She needn't have worried though. She did brilliantly in the session we had, walked out a happy non-smoker had has stayed one ever since.
This morning, I was a guest on the Humble, Kim, Colleen and Rick breakfast show to celebrate Colleen's anniversary. Howard asked me a question I have never had before in all my years of media appearances: "Why is it so easy to quit?" What a great question! The truth is that when you have the right information, quitting can be very easy.
Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking webcasts, seminars and books provide all smokers with the information they need to quit easily and enjoyably. To find out more, visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
I met Colleen through her colleague, "Humble" Howard Glassman, who quit smoking with us five years ago next month. On air he publicly challenged Colleen - a pretty hardcore smoker - to quit smoking and Colleen, never one to shirk a challenge, accepted. I felt this was a very brave move on Colleen's part, particularly as she was experiencing many of the fears that most smokers have whenever they think about quitting ("The cigarette has always been there for me. I'll be losing my best friend!"), let alone the additional pressure of doing it in front of hundreds of thousands of listeners.
She needn't have worried though. She did brilliantly in the session we had, walked out a happy non-smoker had has stayed one ever since.
This morning, I was a guest on the Humble, Kim, Colleen and Rick breakfast show to celebrate Colleen's anniversary. Howard asked me a question I have never had before in all my years of media appearances: "Why is it so easy to quit?" What a great question! The truth is that when you have the right information, quitting can be very easy.
Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking webcasts, seminars and books provide all smokers with the information they need to quit easily and enjoyably. To find out more, visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Uh-oh: more tobacco company ethics issues
Today, the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) published a devastating article about the destruction of key documents by British American Tobacco's (BAT) Canadian subsidiary, Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITC).
In it the authors claim that BAT instructed ITC to destroy key documents that could expose the company to liability or embarrassment. ITC, rather stupidly in my view, wrote to BAT listing sixty of these documents, confirming their destruction. Using this list, these sixty documents were subsequently found in BAT's own document archives.
The documents included evidence from internal scientific reviews, as well as 47 original research studies, 35 of which examined the cancer-causing effects of smoking. The documents also describe BAT research on light and mild cigarettes, including the ways in which consumers adapted their smoking behaviour in order to get the same levels of nicotine as if they were smoking full-strength cigarettes. The documents also depict a comprehensive research program on the pharmacology of nicotine and its addictiveness, showing the central role of nicotine in smoking behaviour.
We should bear in mind that in 1992, when these documents were destroyed, tobacco companies were still denying that nicotine was addictive and that smoking caused cancer.
As we say in our seminars: Sometimes you need to ask yourself who your friends are.
In it the authors claim that BAT instructed ITC to destroy key documents that could expose the company to liability or embarrassment. ITC, rather stupidly in my view, wrote to BAT listing sixty of these documents, confirming their destruction. Using this list, these sixty documents were subsequently found in BAT's own document archives.
The documents included evidence from internal scientific reviews, as well as 47 original research studies, 35 of which examined the cancer-causing effects of smoking. The documents also describe BAT research on light and mild cigarettes, including the ways in which consumers adapted their smoking behaviour in order to get the same levels of nicotine as if they were smoking full-strength cigarettes. The documents also depict a comprehensive research program on the pharmacology of nicotine and its addictiveness, showing the central role of nicotine in smoking behaviour.
We should bear in mind that in 1992, when these documents were destroyed, tobacco companies were still denying that nicotine was addictive and that smoking caused cancer.
As we say in our seminars: Sometimes you need to ask yourself who your friends are.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The cost of smoking...
When I was a heavy smoker with a young family, the price of cigarettes put a big strain on our finances.
But smokers would rather go without food than go without smokes. In a rather pathetic attempt to justify my smoking, I once worked out how much it cost per drag and it seemed like quite good value at the time. But of course I was only really conning myself.
The first cigarette you ever smoked cost you everything you have ever spent on smoking. Because if you hadn't smoked that first cigarette, you wouldn't have smoked the second, and the third...you wouldn't have bought your first pack, then your first carton....
That was one very expensive cigarette!
So how much does smoking really cost? Let's say that you are a pack-a-day smoker living somewhere in or around New York, where the average cost of a pack is $10.
Ten dollars a day comes to $70 per week, $300 per month or $3,650 a year, after tax. To net $3,650, you need to earn around $5,000 a year.
So, let's say that you start smoking comparitively late in life at 20, and that smoking kills you at 70. That's 50 years of smoking at $5,000 per year: a total of $250,000. To put this in context as of 2009, the average price of a house in the US is $257,000.
We are not suggesting that smokers quit because of the money, but what we are saying is that being a smoker is a massive financial commitment.
And of course, so far we have only talked about the financial cost of cigarettes. What about the higher health insurance rates smokers are charged? Or the reduced value of a car or home that has been used by smokers? Or the opportunity cost of investing $250,000 instead of it going up in smoke? One MSNBC report calculated that if a 40 year-old smoker quits and invests that money into their 401(k), it could be worth $400,000 by the time they retire.
And so far, we have only looked at the financial cost of smoking. What about the cost to your health, your self-respect and your freedom. And what about the people who love you? What cost are they paying for you to smoke?
The cost of smoking is more than the price of smokes.
To quit smoking easily and enjoyably use Allen Carr's unique, drug-free Easyway method. To find out more visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
But smokers would rather go without food than go without smokes. In a rather pathetic attempt to justify my smoking, I once worked out how much it cost per drag and it seemed like quite good value at the time. But of course I was only really conning myself.
The first cigarette you ever smoked cost you everything you have ever spent on smoking. Because if you hadn't smoked that first cigarette, you wouldn't have smoked the second, and the third...you wouldn't have bought your first pack, then your first carton....
That was one very expensive cigarette!
So how much does smoking really cost? Let's say that you are a pack-a-day smoker living somewhere in or around New York, where the average cost of a pack is $10.
Ten dollars a day comes to $70 per week, $300 per month or $3,650 a year, after tax. To net $3,650, you need to earn around $5,000 a year.
So, let's say that you start smoking comparitively late in life at 20, and that smoking kills you at 70. That's 50 years of smoking at $5,000 per year: a total of $250,000. To put this in context as of 2009, the average price of a house in the US is $257,000.
We are not suggesting that smokers quit because of the money, but what we are saying is that being a smoker is a massive financial commitment.
And of course, so far we have only talked about the financial cost of cigarettes. What about the higher health insurance rates smokers are charged? Or the reduced value of a car or home that has been used by smokers? Or the opportunity cost of investing $250,000 instead of it going up in smoke? One MSNBC report calculated that if a 40 year-old smoker quits and invests that money into their 401(k), it could be worth $400,000 by the time they retire.
And so far, we have only looked at the financial cost of smoking. What about the cost to your health, your self-respect and your freedom. And what about the people who love you? What cost are they paying for you to smoke?
The cost of smoking is more than the price of smokes.
To quit smoking easily and enjoyably use Allen Carr's unique, drug-free Easyway method. To find out more visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
How to quit smoking
Got this email from Ted Fenton (www.goseeted.com)...
If Ted can do it, why not you? To find out more about Allen Carr's simple, drug-free approach to quitting, please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
"I attended your seminar on November 19, 2005 in Los Angeles and was a heavy 40 to 50 cigarettes a day smoker.
Thanks for extending my life."
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
How Anthony Hopkins quit smoking
Oscar-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins quit many years ago using Allen Carr's Easyway method. He became such a fan that he offered to provide a voice-over for the introduction to Allen's first video.
He describes the method perfectly: "Being a smoker is like being trapped in a complicated maze. You want to get out, but you don't know where to start or which way to turn. It's as if Allen Carr has a map of this maze and can help you navigate your way out."
For a simple, drug-free quit, visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
He describes the method perfectly: "Being a smoker is like being trapped in a complicated maze. You want to get out, but you don't know where to start or which way to turn. It's as if Allen Carr has a map of this maze and can help you navigate your way out."
For a simple, drug-free quit, visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Allen Carr's Easyway live seminar in LA
We are delighted to announce that the next Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking seminar date for Los Angeles is Saturday September 26th.
The session will be held in Santa Monica at the Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue. The seminar runs from 10am until 4pm. As is standard at Allen Carr's Easyway seminars, attendees will be welcome to smoke throughout.
The session will be led by Damian O'Hara, President of Allen Carr North America. "I love doing sessions on the West Coast." he said "There are always tons of interesting people who attend in LA."
Allen Carr's Easyway clientele reads like a who's who of Hollywood with Oscar-winning actors and Grammy-winning musicians heading the list.
Space at the seminar is extremely restricted, with just 20 spots, 15 of which have already been reserved, so smokers wishing to attend should book now to avoid disappointment.
To find out more information about our LA seminar or to make a reservation, please visit us at http://www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com/Seminars/GroupSessions/LosAngelesseminars.aspx
The session will be held in Santa Monica at the Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue. The seminar runs from 10am until 4pm. As is standard at Allen Carr's Easyway seminars, attendees will be welcome to smoke throughout.
The session will be led by Damian O'Hara, President of Allen Carr North America. "I love doing sessions on the West Coast." he said "There are always tons of interesting people who attend in LA."
Allen Carr's Easyway clientele reads like a who's who of Hollywood with Oscar-winning actors and Grammy-winning musicians heading the list.
Space at the seminar is extremely restricted, with just 20 spots, 15 of which have already been reserved, so smokers wishing to attend should book now to avoid disappointment.
To find out more information about our LA seminar or to make a reservation, please visit us at http://www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com/Seminars/GroupSessions/LosAngelesseminars.aspx
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Another happy non-smoker
Today, we received this email from Jenny Evans, who attended one of our live seminars in NYC.
She says: "I never thought I could stop smoking after 45 years. How could I handle life? I didn't even remember what it was like to be a "Non-Smoker". Well, I have been smoke-free for 2 months now using the "EasyWay", and I feel great! This has been the most empowering gift I have ever given myself. I believe if I can do this.....anyone can!!!!!! I really mean that."
Thank you Jenny for sharing this inspirational story.
To find out how Jenny did it, and how you can too, please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
She says: "I never thought I could stop smoking after 45 years. How could I handle life? I didn't even remember what it was like to be a "Non-Smoker". Well, I have been smoke-free for 2 months now using the "EasyWay", and I feel great! This has been the most empowering gift I have ever given myself. I believe if I can do this.....anyone can!!!!!! I really mean that."
Thank you Jenny for sharing this inspirational story.
To find out how Jenny did it, and how you can too, please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Tobacco is tobacco is tobacco...
In his blog at the right-wing, libertarian Cato Institute site Cato@Liberty, David Boaz says that because Philip Morris is not fighting alongside their fellow tobacco companies to overturn new advertising restrictions, we should say that this is not about "Big" Tobacco, but "Medium" Tobacco.
But I think there's a much more interesting observation here: Why aren't Philip Morris fighting along with the rest of the industry? Why are they now accepting the same advertising restrictions that througohut the 1970s and 1980s they fought tooth and nail against? I hate to sound cynical, but if all advertising is banned, no-one will ever be able to take over Philip Morris's No.1 position as market leader. No wonder Philip Morris want this ban just as much as the tobacco-control advocates, albeit for completely different reasons!
Is PM's position altruism or self-interest? You decide.
But I think there's a much more interesting observation here: Why aren't Philip Morris fighting along with the rest of the industry? Why are they now accepting the same advertising restrictions that througohut the 1970s and 1980s they fought tooth and nail against? I hate to sound cynical, but if all advertising is banned, no-one will ever be able to take over Philip Morris's No.1 position as market leader. No wonder Philip Morris want this ban just as much as the tobacco-control advocates, albeit for completely different reasons!
Is PM's position altruism or self-interest? You decide.
Plain packaging - the tobacco industry's worst nightmare
While American tobacco companies are going to court to try to avoid putting proper health warnings on cigarettes, there is a much bigger drama being played out in Europe, where tobacco control advocates have proposed the implementation of plain packaging for cigarettes - no camels, no colour, no chevrons, no fancy typrefaces, nothing. Just plain grey packaging with the name of the brand in simple black text.
The tobacco industry is a lot more worried about plain packaging than they are about health warnings. They know that older smokers ignore the health warnings and that younger smokers and experimenters feel that they don't apply - "I'll quit years before that happens" they tell themselves...
On the other hand, their branding, logo and typeface is really all they have left to try to appeal to customers. That's why the tobacco industry spends so much money developing sexy packaging...hot pink, cellphone shaped packs. Good thing they aren't trying to appeal to kids!
To quit smoking easily and enjoyably visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
The tobacco industry is a lot more worried about plain packaging than they are about health warnings. They know that older smokers ignore the health warnings and that younger smokers and experimenters feel that they don't apply - "I'll quit years before that happens" they tell themselves...
On the other hand, their branding, logo and typeface is really all they have left to try to appeal to customers. That's why the tobacco industry spends so much money developing sexy packaging...hot pink, cellphone shaped packs. Good thing they aren't trying to appeal to kids!
To quit smoking easily and enjoyably visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Quit smoking success rates: Nicotine patch
Every day we get visitors to our site asking about the success rate for other quit smoking methods, so today I would like to focus on one of the most popular (and least effective!) quit smoking aids: the nicotine patch.
The nicotine patch is an adhesive patch that releases nicotine into the bloodstream. It is marketed as a quit smoking aid, and for years manufacturers have claimed that the patch "double your chances of quitting" (this claim appears on the US Surgeon General's office, Health Canada, Cancer Society and Heart Assocation websites) but double it from what to what? From 50% to 100% or from 1% to 2%?
Believe it or not, it is actually much harder than you think to find out even something this straightforward. The reason for this is that researchers rarely quote an actual success rate. Instead they compare the success of a treatment to placebo or to no treatment and quote the difference as an Odds Ratio (OR). So if a treatment is twice as effective as placebo, it has an OR of 2. If it's half as effective the OR would be 0.5.
There have been hundreds of studies looking into the effectiveness of the nicotine patch. Cochrane's Review, an independent body examining evidence-based treatments, identified 111 trials covering over 40,000 smokers and concluded that the nicotine patch has an OR of 1.66 vs. placebo.
So, if you slap a nicotine patch on, then you have a 66% better chance of quitting than if you wore a patch with no nicotine. This is interesting to me. If nicotine replacement really worked, you would expect it to be two, three or even five times higher than placebo or using nothing at all.
Clive Bates, Director of Action on Smoking and Health in the UK and one of the most vocal supporters of nicotine replacement therapy sheds some light on this issue. In a post on a discussion thread in April 2002, Mr. Bates wrote: "The unaided quit rate is about 3% success per attempt. NRT doubles that to 6%."
So, according to one of its biggest supporters, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has a success rate of 6% or, put another way, a 94% failure rate.
Allen Carr was dismissive of NRT from the beginning. He said "Telling a nicotine addict to stop using nicotine by taking nicotine is a bit like telling an alcoholic to drink beer instead of wine."
Ellen DeGeneres said it best: "The nicotine patch only works when you put one over each eye so you can't find your cigarettes!"
For a simple, no-BS, drug-free approach to quitting, visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
The nicotine patch is an adhesive patch that releases nicotine into the bloodstream. It is marketed as a quit smoking aid, and for years manufacturers have claimed that the patch "double your chances of quitting" (this claim appears on the US Surgeon General's office, Health Canada, Cancer Society and Heart Assocation websites) but double it from what to what? From 50% to 100% or from 1% to 2%?
Believe it or not, it is actually much harder than you think to find out even something this straightforward. The reason for this is that researchers rarely quote an actual success rate. Instead they compare the success of a treatment to placebo or to no treatment and quote the difference as an Odds Ratio (OR). So if a treatment is twice as effective as placebo, it has an OR of 2. If it's half as effective the OR would be 0.5.
There have been hundreds of studies looking into the effectiveness of the nicotine patch. Cochrane's Review, an independent body examining evidence-based treatments, identified 111 trials covering over 40,000 smokers and concluded that the nicotine patch has an OR of 1.66 vs. placebo.
So, if you slap a nicotine patch on, then you have a 66% better chance of quitting than if you wore a patch with no nicotine. This is interesting to me. If nicotine replacement really worked, you would expect it to be two, three or even five times higher than placebo or using nothing at all.
Clive Bates, Director of Action on Smoking and Health in the UK and one of the most vocal supporters of nicotine replacement therapy sheds some light on this issue. In a post on a discussion thread in April 2002, Mr. Bates wrote: "The unaided quit rate is about 3% success per attempt. NRT doubles that to 6%."
So, according to one of its biggest supporters, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has a success rate of 6% or, put another way, a 94% failure rate.
Allen Carr was dismissive of NRT from the beginning. He said "Telling a nicotine addict to stop using nicotine by taking nicotine is a bit like telling an alcoholic to drink beer instead of wine."
Ellen DeGeneres said it best: "The nicotine patch only works when you put one over each eye so you can't find your cigarettes!"
For a simple, no-BS, drug-free approach to quitting, visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
How Ashton Kutcher quit smoking...
Ashton Kutcher: actor, director, prankster and now...non-smoker!
Listen to Ashton talk about how he quit smoking using Allen Carr's unique Easyway method. You can see him talk about it on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno by clicking here. You will also find testimonials from Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Richard Branson, Ellen DeGeneres, Jason Mraz, Lou Reed, Stewart Copeland and David Blaine.
We want to thank Ashton - and all our other celebrity fans - for going public with this and for spreading the word.
To find out more about this simple, drug-free approach to quitting, please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Listen to Ashton talk about how he quit smoking using Allen Carr's unique Easyway method. You can see him talk about it on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno by clicking here. You will also find testimonials from Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Richard Branson, Ellen DeGeneres, Jason Mraz, Lou Reed, Stewart Copeland and David Blaine.
We want to thank Ashton - and all our other celebrity fans - for going public with this and for spreading the word.
To find out more about this simple, drug-free approach to quitting, please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Saturday, August 29, 2009
More quit smoking scammers
I recently contacted a company called I Quit Smoking, who claim an 80-90% success rate using laser 'therapy'.
Out of interest I asked what evidence they had to support this astonishing claim - particularly in the light of Cochrane's independent, evidence-based review into acupuncture, auricular and laser therapies, which concluded that "There is no consistent evidence that acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy or electrostimulation are effective for smoking cessation" and "The review did not find consistent evidence that active acupuncture or related techniques increased the number of people who could successfully quit smoking vs. using placebo or sham acupuncture."
When I asked them to comment on this apparent inconsistency, I didn't hear from them again.
I was also a little suspicious of their testimonials. They quote a testimonial from a Canadian smoker who apparently quit in 2001, despite the company not coming to Canada until 2008. They quote testimonials from Italy and Austria, despite having no operations there. Smells a bit fishy to me!
For a simple, honest, BS-free approach to quitting smoking, please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Out of interest I asked what evidence they had to support this astonishing claim - particularly in the light of Cochrane's independent, evidence-based review into acupuncture, auricular and laser therapies, which concluded that "There is no consistent evidence that acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy or electrostimulation are effective for smoking cessation" and "The review did not find consistent evidence that active acupuncture or related techniques increased the number of people who could successfully quit smoking vs. using placebo or sham acupuncture."
When I asked them to comment on this apparent inconsistency, I didn't hear from them again.
I was also a little suspicious of their testimonials. They quote a testimonial from a Canadian smoker who apparently quit in 2001, despite the company not coming to Canada until 2008. They quote testimonials from Italy and Austria, despite having no operations there. Smells a bit fishy to me!
For a simple, honest, BS-free approach to quitting smoking, please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Allen Carr's Easyway featured on Forbes.com
Back in July I was interviewed by Kym McNicholas at Forbes for her Personal Best feature.
Here's the link...http://video.forbes.com/fvn/personalbest/why-people-still-smoke-allen-carr-easyway-stop-smoking
I'm so happy that the mainstream media is catching on to Allen Carr's unique Easyway method.
Thanks Kym, for a terrific piece...
To find out more about quitting smoking using this simple, drug-free approach, please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Here's the link...http://video.forbes.com/fvn/personalbest/why-people-still-smoke-allen-carr-easyway-stop-smoking
I'm so happy that the mainstream media is catching on to Allen Carr's unique Easyway method.
Thanks Kym, for a terrific piece...
To find out more about quitting smoking using this simple, drug-free approach, please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Friday, August 28, 2009
Jason Mraz quits with Allen Carr's Easyway
Pop star Jason Mraz, most famous for his beautiful song I'm Yours, is the most recent celebrity to quit using Allen Carr's simple, drug-free Easyway method. He joins others such as Sir Anthony Hopkins, Anjelica Huston, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Goldie Hawn and many, many more...
Mr. Mraz says of Easyway: "It worked for me and about twenty of my friends. Seriously." You can read his relevant MySpace blog entry here.
Thank you Jason for sharing your Easyway experience with the rest of the world.
To find out more about how to quit smoking using Allen Carr's Easyway please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Mr. Mraz says of Easyway: "It worked for me and about twenty of my friends. Seriously." You can read his relevant MySpace blog entry here.
Thank you Jason for sharing your Easyway experience with the rest of the world.
To find out more about how to quit smoking using Allen Carr's Easyway please visit us at www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
Thursday, August 27, 2009
More stupidity from Philly
In today's Philadelphia Inquirer Patrick McNally laments the treatment of smokers at Citizens Bank Field where the Phillies ply their trade.
A former smoker himself he 'sympathizes with the urge to light up even though...it's a dangerous habit."
Mr. McNally says: "Cigarettes are dangerous, but the same could be said of the hot dogs, pretzels, and beer sold in the ballpark. Yet I was able to buy them and walk back to my seat to enjoy my doughy, salty, fatty, alcoholic treats."
Hot dogs and pretzels are hardly health foods, but to compare them to an addictive drug that kills nearly 6,000,000 around the world every year is ridiculous. Smoking isn't a "dangerous habit", it's a drug addiction that kills half of the people that can't stop.
In addition, eating hot dogs and pretzels don't create dangers for other people. There is no second-hand trans-fat is there?
Mr. McNally should realize that it is smoking, not smokers, that is the target here.
If you are one of the 80% of smokers who want to quit, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
A former smoker himself he 'sympathizes with the urge to light up even though...it's a dangerous habit."
Mr. McNally says: "Cigarettes are dangerous, but the same could be said of the hot dogs, pretzels, and beer sold in the ballpark. Yet I was able to buy them and walk back to my seat to enjoy my doughy, salty, fatty, alcoholic treats."
Hot dogs and pretzels are hardly health foods, but to compare them to an addictive drug that kills nearly 6,000,000 around the world every year is ridiculous. Smoking isn't a "dangerous habit", it's a drug addiction that kills half of the people that can't stop.
In addition, eating hot dogs and pretzels don't create dangers for other people. There is no second-hand trans-fat is there?
Mr. McNally should realize that it is smoking, not smokers, that is the target here.
If you are one of the 80% of smokers who want to quit, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Smoking and stress relief
Today I wanted to take a look at an article about smokers from the Chicago Tribune. I'm happy that the media covers this important topic, but the fact that they just trot out the same illusions about smoking and quitting is a bit depressing...
In particular, the article focuses on smoking as a stress reliever.
Smoker Keith Shannon says that a break-in scuppered his most recent attempt to quit. "After getting hit over the head with a gun, I needed a cigarette." This is presumably based on the well known fact that smoking a cigarette is an excellent cure for being hit over the head with a gun.
"It helps calm my nerves" Mr. Shannon says of the drug that elevates heart rate and blood pressure and causes the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline (the 'fight or flight' chemical). Does that sound like 'calming the nerves' to you? Some stress relief! More like a recipe for a heart attack.
Three pack-a-day smoker Deborah Israel says "Cigarettes are just adult pacifiers, you stick 'em in your mouth when you get stressed." Three packs a day is a lot of stress relief isn't it? If the cigarette worked to relieve stress, then why is the chain-smoking Ms. Israel stressed at all? Ironically, she says that quitting smoking would be too expensive as her company plan does not cover quit smoking programs. This is somewhat ironic coming from someone who spends over $7,500 a year on buying smokes.
Smoking to relieve stress is like drinking alcohol to get sober. The problem is that the illusion of smoking and stress relief is a subtle one. When a smoker puts out a cigarette, they go into physical withdrawal from nicotine. This is a barely noticeable feeling, a bit like hunger or very mild anxiety. The longer the smoker goes without smoking, the more pronounced the feeling becomes. When the smoker lights up, this slightly anxious edgy feeling disappears - leading the smoker to think that smoking relieves stress, when in fact withdrawal from the previous cigarette created that additional stress in the first place.
Until smokers can see through that illusion, they will have a desire or perceived need to smoke whenever they are in a stressful situation. They will need to use willpower to overcome that desire. This creates a conflict: part of them wants to smoke, but part wants to quit and it is this mental conflict (not physical withdrawal) that makes quitting challenging for those using willpower.
Allen Carr's Easyway method removes the need for willpower by enabling smokers to change their belief that smoking releives stress. Eliminating this belief eliminates the desire to smoke in stressful situations and with no desire to smoke, it really doesn't take willpower not to.
To find out more about this simple, drug-free approach to quitting, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
In particular, the article focuses on smoking as a stress reliever.
Smoker Keith Shannon says that a break-in scuppered his most recent attempt to quit. "After getting hit over the head with a gun, I needed a cigarette." This is presumably based on the well known fact that smoking a cigarette is an excellent cure for being hit over the head with a gun.
"It helps calm my nerves" Mr. Shannon says of the drug that elevates heart rate and blood pressure and causes the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline (the 'fight or flight' chemical). Does that sound like 'calming the nerves' to you? Some stress relief! More like a recipe for a heart attack.
Three pack-a-day smoker Deborah Israel says "Cigarettes are just adult pacifiers, you stick 'em in your mouth when you get stressed." Three packs a day is a lot of stress relief isn't it? If the cigarette worked to relieve stress, then why is the chain-smoking Ms. Israel stressed at all? Ironically, she says that quitting smoking would be too expensive as her company plan does not cover quit smoking programs. This is somewhat ironic coming from someone who spends over $7,500 a year on buying smokes.
Smoking to relieve stress is like drinking alcohol to get sober. The problem is that the illusion of smoking and stress relief is a subtle one. When a smoker puts out a cigarette, they go into physical withdrawal from nicotine. This is a barely noticeable feeling, a bit like hunger or very mild anxiety. The longer the smoker goes without smoking, the more pronounced the feeling becomes. When the smoker lights up, this slightly anxious edgy feeling disappears - leading the smoker to think that smoking relieves stress, when in fact withdrawal from the previous cigarette created that additional stress in the first place.
Until smokers can see through that illusion, they will have a desire or perceived need to smoke whenever they are in a stressful situation. They will need to use willpower to overcome that desire. This creates a conflict: part of them wants to smoke, but part wants to quit and it is this mental conflict (not physical withdrawal) that makes quitting challenging for those using willpower.
Allen Carr's Easyway method removes the need for willpower by enabling smokers to change their belief that smoking releives stress. Eliminating this belief eliminates the desire to smoke in stressful situations and with no desire to smoke, it really doesn't take willpower not to.
To find out more about this simple, drug-free approach to quitting, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sad, weak editorial from Kansas
Today the Topeka Capital Journal announced that it was opposing Councilwoman Deborah Swank's proposal to drag Topeka into the 21st century by banning smoking in workplaces.
They believe instead that 'the marketplace' should decide. Presumably they mean that the millions spent by the tobacco industry on lobbying to fight this type of legislation should decide. Having public health policy driven by companies whose products kill an estimated 400,000 Americans every year is less than ideal.
Just because there is a market for something doesn't mean that the market should 'decide' what is right and wrong. There is a market for crack and crystal meth, but no-one is suggesting that crack dealers should develop public drug policy. Public health for the large majority should trump an individual's 'right' to smoke.
As a reader pointed out: "So, when I get lung cancer from breathing all the second-hand smoke lingering in public places, just exactly which part of the marketplace will pay for my lost health and health care?"
Newspapers need to get with the program - smokers have. Recent research shows that over 70% want to quit. To quit smoking easily and enjoyably, visit www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
They believe instead that 'the marketplace' should decide. Presumably they mean that the millions spent by the tobacco industry on lobbying to fight this type of legislation should decide. Having public health policy driven by companies whose products kill an estimated 400,000 Americans every year is less than ideal.
Just because there is a market for something doesn't mean that the market should 'decide' what is right and wrong. There is a market for crack and crystal meth, but no-one is suggesting that crack dealers should develop public drug policy. Public health for the large majority should trump an individual's 'right' to smoke.
As a reader pointed out: "So, when I get lung cancer from breathing all the second-hand smoke lingering in public places, just exactly which part of the marketplace will pay for my lost health and health care?"
Newspapers need to get with the program - smokers have. Recent research shows that over 70% want to quit. To quit smoking easily and enjoyably, visit www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
Monday, August 24, 2009
Allen Carr seminars now available in Denver, Houston and Dallas
Allen Carr North America is delighted to announce the launch of our seminar program in Denver, Houston and Dallas.
The seminars are conducted by Denver-native Collene Curran, who quit smoking using Allen Carr's Easyway method in 2005.
To find out dates and locations please visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com.
The seminars are conducted by Denver-native Collene Curran, who quit smoking using Allen Carr's Easyway method in 2005.
To find out dates and locations please visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com.
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