TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Finding time for a cigarette during breaks at work has never been harder for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, known to be a heavy smoker, according to people close to him.

Ishiba's extremely tight schedule since becoming Japan's prime minister in October has forced him to now only smoke "several (cigarettes) a day." He has gone so far as to suggest he may quit smoking altogether.

Last month, Ishiba told a parliamentary session that he will need "a little more" time to end his longtime smoking habit. He added he does not smoke in places where there are people around.

His love for tobacco is so strong that Ishiba, who also has a penchant for drinking, once told people around him that if he were asked to give up either smoking or drinking, he would say "definitely drinking."

Before assuming his post as Japan's top leader, he would often frequent a smoking lounge in the Diet building. He is even rumored to have his own chair there.

At home, though, smoking seems to be a tall order for the prime minister. His wife Yoshiko is a nonsmoker and the prime minister has said that he is "not in a situation" where smoking is "allowed."

Smokers have been under intense scrutiny in recent years, with developments such as the revised health promotion law taking effect in 2020. The law bans people from smoking indoors in government buildings and other places in Japan.

With smoking prohibited at the prime minister's office, Ishiba now tries to eat some candy during meetings, according to sources close to him.

But "habits cannot be easily changed," one of the sources said, suggesting it will take time for the prime minister to quit smoking.