I had tried to quit a couple of times but fell off the wagon and naturally was pimped by my buddies for not having staying power.
When I quit for good, I didn’t tell anyone until about three months smoke free. Someone noticed I wasn’t smoking any more and instead of badgering, they were supportive.
A doctor told me one time that if we only smoked one cigarette after meals (like our great grandparents did) we could smoke for 100 years without any problems.