Obama Says WH Will Remain Smoke-Free

During his interview with NBC News' Tom Brokaw over the weekend, President-elect Barack Obama acknowledged that he has had some trouble kicking his smoking habit but promised that the White House would remain a smoke-free zone.

"There are times where I've fallen off the wagon," Mr. Obama said when asked if he had stopped smoking. "I've done a terrific job, under the circumstances, of making myself much healthier," he continued. "And I think that you will not see any violations of these rules in the White House," he said of the ban.

The Associated Press notes that Obama told Men's Health magazine in an interview before the election that he had smoked a couple of times on the campaign trail. "But I figure, seeing as I'm running for president, I need to cut myself a little slack," he told the magazine.