Allen Carr’s Easyway method is one of the best-known approaches to stopping smoking without medication or nicotine replacement products. Its central idea is quite different from conventional smoking cessation programmes: instead of teaching smokers to resist the urge to smoke, it aims to change the way they think about smoking so that they no longer feel the need to smoke. But does it work?
What is the Easyway method ?
The method was developed by Allen Carr, a former heavy smoker who quit in 1983. It is best known through his book The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, first published in 1985 and which has sold over 13 million copies, and through group seminars and online courses.
The approach is based on the idea that smokers continue smoking largely because they believe cigarettes provide pleasure, relieve stress, help them concentrate or offer comfort. According to Carr, these perceived benefits are largely an illusion: smoking mainly relieves the discomfort caused by nicotine withdrawal, creating a cycle of dependence.
During a seminar, participants are encouraged to question their beliefs about smoking and understand how nicotine addiction works. Rather than relying on willpower or seeing cigarettes as something they must give up, they are encouraged to view quitting as gaining freedom from an addiction. The method also aims to remove the fear of withdrawal, weight gain and life without cigarettes.
Unlike most conventional programmes, Allen Carr’s method does not routinely use nicotine replacement therapy or medication. Participants are generally encouraged to continue smoking until the end of the session, when they are asked to smoke their last cigarette.
Is there a scientific basis for the method?
The method’s explanation of nicotine addiction has some similarities with established psychological concepts. In particular, questioning beliefs about smoking and changing the way a person responds to cravings are recognised elements of cognitive behavioural approaches.
However, Allen Carr’s method was not developed on the basis of scientifically validated psychological principles, and many experts believe that some of its underlying assumptions are incorrect. For example, the idea that quitting can be entirely free of withdrawal symptoms is not consistent with what is known about nicotine addiction. Many smokers experience cravings, irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbances or difficulty concentrating after stopping.
What do scientific studies show?
Despite the method’s popularity, relatively few clinical studies have examined its effectiveness. A systematic review identified only six studies suitable for analysis, including two randomised controlled trials:
A large British trial, involving 620 smokers, compared a 4 to 6 hour Easyway seminar with a specialist Stop Smoking Service offering behavioural support and nicotine replacement therapy. After six months, the quit rates were 19.4% and 14.8%, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant, meaning that the study could not establish that either approach was more effective.
In an Irish trial, 300 smokers were randomly assigned to either a in-person, 5 hours single-session Easyway seminar or to the online National Smoking Cessation Service ‘Quit.ie’. The researchers found higher quit rates among participants attending the seminar than among those using the online service. After one year, 22% of the in-person seminar participants had stopped smoking, compared with 11% in the online comparison group.There is, however, one important difference between the two groups that makes them incomparable: a five-hour in-person session, regardless of its content, will inevitably have a greater impact than an online system, especially if participation rates in online activities are low, which was the case in this study.
Evidence for the book alone is particularly limited. Reading it has not yet been shown convincingly to increase long-term quit rates.
Should you try Allen Carr’s method?
Allen Carr’s method emphasis on challenging the perceived benefits of cigarettes may be helpful for some smokers, but claims of exceptionally high success rates are unfounded. Scientific data indicate that the Easyway seminar is no more effective than other in-person methods. Furthermore, the fact that this method emphasizes avoiding nicotine replacement therapies may be counterproductive.
Nicotine replacement therapy, prescription medications (varenicline, cytisine) in-persdon behavioural support and quitlines have a much larger body of scientific evidence behind them. There is no reason to avoid these treatments.
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References
- Possenti I, Scala M, Lugo A, Clancy L, Keogan S, Gallus S. The effectiveness of Allen Carr’s method for smoking cessation: A systematic review. Tob Prev Cessat. 2023 Sep 29;9:29. https://doi.org/10.18332/tpc/172314
- Keogan S, Li S, Clancy L. Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking – A randomised clinical trial. Tobacco Control 2019;28:414-419. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054243
- Frings D, Albery IP, Moss AC, et al. Comparison of Allen Carr’s Easyway programme with a specialist behavioural and pharmacological smoking cessation support service: a randomized controlled trial. Addiction. 2020;115(5):977–985. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14897
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