Though the COVID-19 lockdown measures have come with both fiscal and monetary support, many long-term negative implications remain unseen. The increase in tobacco use is one of these hidden effects.

Smoke-free workplaces reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. At the time of this writing, 27 states in the United States have laws that “require all non-hospitality workplaces, restaurants, and bars to be 100 percent smoke-free.” When looking at municipalities, roughly 82% of the population falls under a 100% smoke-free regulation in workplaces.