He died of inoperable lung cancer that is said could be attributed to his long term smoking habits. He stopped smoking 23 years ago when he kicked his 100 a day habit. If he had not have stopped it is very doubtful that he would have reached the ripe old age of 72.

I bought the Allen Carr book after I had stopped smoking 5 months ago, just to have it as a back up and to find out how he encouraged thousands of people to quit. It is an excellent book and will always be to hand.

More can be read about it on BBC news online

At first when I stopped I really didn’t want to and for a few weeks I was really grumpy at home and at work convinced that I had been forced into giving up. Not that I had been but the cravings or the withdrawl, or whatever it is was driving me crazy. The main thing I found was the breaking of the habit of that first cigarette in the morning and cigarette breaks at work, but I got there.

Now it’s coming up to 4 months no smoking which I am really proud of when I look back at what I used to be like with cigarettes. I went to the pub last night and the smoke in the bar really made me realise how disgusting it is, and the smell that was on my clothes when I left. When you’re a smoker you lose that sense of smell, and become unaware of the smell of stale smoke.

The first 3 weeks were hard, and there was one time that I was in the pub and got really desperate for a cigarette that I nearly bought some or at least borrowed one from a friend. Thankfully I didn’t which made me stronger that I had managed to cope. The next time in the pub it didn’t really bother me as much…it got to the stage where the smell of smoke is more disgusting than appealing.

So all in all doing well. I have also noticed, which you do when you stop smoking and deny when you do smoke, is how bad smokers smell. Their clothes and breath…and to think that’s what I used to smell like.

I challenged myself last night when we went to the pub. This is probably the worst place to go if you have stopped smoking to go to your local pub where there are people drinking and smoking. I always associate having a drink with having a cigarette…the two just go hand in hand as it were.

Anyway surprisingly I was fine and both myself and my wife didn’t feel like we really needed a cigarette, which was really good. It’s also quite a boost when you tell people that you have stopped smoking and they automatically give you some support. What I found last time when I gave up smoking about 8 years ago was that you become a real anti smoker and are the first one to preach to smokers about what a disgusting habit it is.

I also bought the Allen Carr, quiting smoking book, but didn’t get a chance to read it as one of my friends who works in the next door office building saw it and borrowed it to see if he could quit. So we shall see if it works because I don’t need it now, I am just very interested in what sort of thing he says in the book.

It is Day 12 today and so far so good…. sort of. I’d forgotton how hard giving up smoking can be at times. Generally I am finding it OK, but there are certain times of the day that I have the craving for a cigarette.

I must admit that I did crack momentarily at the weekend, but I was in Germany and had just watched England get knocked out of the World Cup Quarter finals. But after a couple of cigarettes late at night that was enough for me to realise that I didn’t want to carry on the next day.

The main problem for me is the time when I am at work and need to have a break from my computer. Before I would go outside with one of the lads who also smoke and have a cigarette. This would enable me to think of what I needed to do next and to clear my head a bit. Almost allow me to organise the next part of my day. My life at the moment is a bit stressful as well since I am having my kitchen ripped out and replaced so my house is a bit upside down. But I am proud that it’s Day 12 and I have only lapsed momentarily. It will get easier I know it.

One of the Diet Trials readers, has just mentioned to me that to help stop smoking the Allen Carr book works. Even though I have stopped I am tempted to buy it all the same. My sister in law went to one of his seminars to support a friend who wanted to give up and ended up giving up herself the next day. Powerful stuff.