Anti-smoking advocates are hoping U.S. president-elect Barack Obama will become a role model for their campaigns.

Obama, who is struggling to break the habit, "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," said Cheryl Healton, president of the American Legacy Foundation, which works to prevent young people from starting the habit.

Obama said on the Meet the Press TV show on Dec. 7 that he had quit, but "there are times where I have fallen off the wagon."

The admission impressed Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "It takes courage to admit failure, but even more courage to pledge to succeed."

Douglas Jorenby, a specialist in stopping smoking at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said Obama is going about his campaign in the right way.

He has replaced the nicotine in cigarettes with Nicorette gum, and he keeps trying.

It can take smokers six tries before they break the habit, so continuing to fight is important. "Relapsing is very common," Jorenby said.

With files from the Associated Press