Does Obama still smoke? Answer remains clouded

COMBINED DISPATCHES

WASHINGTON — The White House press secretary says President Barack Obama still struggles with a nicotine addiction, but the spokesman would not say whether the president still smokes cigarettes.

Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked about the matter Friday, the same day in which Obama talked of tobacco’s deadly effects and hailed the passage of bill that boosts regulation of smoking. In the past, Obama has spoken about the difficulty of quitting cigarettes.

Gibbs said that Obama’s response about smoking would be that quitting the addiction is a lifelong struggle.

Asked directly if Obama still smokes, Gibbs said: “I would simply tell you I think struggling with a nicotine addiction is something that happens every day.”

During the campaign, Obama had the usual love-hate relationship with “Sot-Weed,” the American Colonial term for the killer leaf. He was seen chomping nicotine gum to ease the withdrawal cravings and often said he would stop smoking to set a better example.

When Obama appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program in December 2008, interviewer Tom Brokaw noted that the White House was a no-smoking zone.

“Have you stopped smoking?” Brokaw asked.

“I have,” Obama said. “What I said was that there are times where I have fallen off the wagon.”

“Wait a minute,” Brokaw interjected, “that means you haven’t stopped.”

“Fair enough,” Obama said. “What I would say is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself much healthier. You will not see any violations of these rules in the White House.”

For those keeping track, the no-smoking rule was imposed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton back when she was first lady.