Anti-smoking advocates are looking for President-elect Barack Obama to provide "a teachable moment" and become a national role model through  his efforts to quit smoking, the Associated Press reported Dec. 13.

Cheryl Healton, president of the American Legacy Foundation, said that Obama is "in a position to help people understand that it's difficult to quit, and to encourage the 43 million adult Americans who smoke to join him in his efforts."

Obama's recent admission that he has occasionally faltered in his quit attempt has provoked responses from around the country. Invoking the spirit of New Year's resolutions, the Philadelphia Inquirer editorialized that "we hope, the president-elect will -- with the loving encouragement of his wife and daughters, no doubt -- set an example that will lead him and other Americans to healthier living."

"He's shown a firm commitment to beat this addiction," said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "It takes courage to admit failure, but even more courage to pledge to succeed."

David Jorenby, a specialist in smoking cessation, said that it takes four to six attempts for a typical smoker to get it right. "This is not simply a bad habit that one uses willpower to stamp out," Jorenby added, noting that people often ignore the fact that tobacco addiction is a chemical dependency.