“Back in the 1980s or 1970s when so many people smoked,...”
Back in the day, I remember attending department meetings at work, where 8 of the 12 attendees smoked during the meeting. The conference rooms were small with closed doors. Every one reeked of smoke when the meeting was over. Also there were cigarette vending machines in the hallways.
I recall workplace was legal in some counties here, like Baltimore county, till the end of the 1980s.