I will be smoke free 16 yrs in June. I hate the smell of them but I don't rag on people for smoking as long as they are a "polite smoker" as I was. It's a terrible habit but I at least went off away from people and lit up and put my butts in the trash or took them with me until I found a trash. A friend warned me about the cough I would deal with after quitting and she was right. I had to deal with a cough for a while after I quit (guess that was all the toxins getting out of my body and the really dark poop) but it was worth it. I added years to my life. I try to encourage people to stop but only if they say they want to stop and all I tell them is that they will stop when THEY ARE READY TO STOP and not when someone is ragging on them. I spent $3 grand on braces and was having a cigarette one day and thought about how my teeth would look after the braces. That was my Ah ha moment.
Congrats to the OP for quitting and encouragement to anyone who has started up again after quitting. This was my 3rd attempt so don't feel bad if you fell off the wagon, just get the hell back on and find a seat. I did myself a favor and quit when they were not over $3 a pack. No way I could support that habit today.