Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he has quit smoking with the help of a nicotine-replacement aid,  the Associated Press reported Feb. 29.

Obama had admitted to be an smoker earlier in his campaign, but said that he has been able to abstain despite a grueling schedule of primaries, rallies and debates.

"I've been chewing on this Nicorette, which tastes like you're chewing on ground pepper -- but it does help," Obama said during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Obama credited his wife, Michelle, for helping him keep his resolve: she told him she would only agree to a run for the presidency if he quit smoking. "I had been sneaking three cigarettes, four cigarettes a day for a while, and she said if you're going to do this you've got to stop -- precisely because the stress was going to increase, and it'll just get worse," Obama said. "So that's an example of my wife making me a better man once again."