Londoner Allen Carr died yesterday of lung cancer, aged 72.

Allen Carr wrote a book about how to quit smoking called Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking. In it, he talks about seeing smoking as a burden rather than a treat, and about how quitting is a release rather than a sacrifice. For reasons not fully understood by other anti-smoking groups, his method works very well for a lot of people.

He was born in Putney, South London and his website says that the Allen Carr Clinic in London treats more than 4,500 smokers per year.

He helped countless thousands of people quit smoking, including Richard Branson, Johnny Cash and Anthony Hopkins. He also helped my beloved partner and several of my dear friends, who passed a dog-eared charity-shop copy of his book between them until they all quit. So, he helped me too.

Doctors were unable to say whether the disease was linked to his habit or his clients, who were allowed to continue smoking during their treatment. “I estimate I’ve cured 25 million smokers over the years,” Mr Carr said in a recent interview. “And if my illness is the price for that, it’s worth paying.”

What an amazing legacy.

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