We applaud the many hospitality and gaming venues reopening with smokefree indoor air policies. Understandably, businesses are eager to reopen their doors while also ensuring a safe and healthy environment. Now more than ever, reducing exposure to respiratory risk factors seems imperative, and we strongly recommend removing secondhand smoke from indoor environments and encourage those who currently smoke to quit. Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke are key risk factors for susceptibility to more severe COVID-19 symptoms because of their impact on underlying health conditions like heart disease, diminished lung function, weakened immune system, and associated risk of respiratory illness.
