Britain's Allen Carr, 73, a formidable anti-smoking campaigner  has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

    BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Britain's Allen Carr, 73, a formidable anti-smoking campaigner and former 100-cigarette-a-day user, has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

    Carr, who gave up smoking in 1983 and began helping others do the same, was diagnosed with the disease last week, the Mail said on Sunday.

    A best-selling author of numerous "how to" books, Carr has influenced millions to forgo their addictions and has built a series of clinics around the world aimed at helping people quit smoking.

    He currently controls 70 clinics in 30 countries around the world which in the last year alone helped 45,000 deal with their addictions, .

    A spokesman for Carr said: "It is not possible to tell if Allen's cancer is linked to his previous 100 cigarette a day addiction."

    "He is certain that had he not quit, he would have been dead 20 years ago," said the spokesman.

    Carr said since he stopped smoking more than 23 years ago he has been the happiest man in the world and he still feels the same way. Enditem