An expert explains the need to wear face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Wochit

Many Americans have embraced health officials' recommendationto wear masks in public, and those who refuse tomaskupare likely to encounter increasing pressure in the coming weeks and months.

There is asizable minority of Americans who are skeptical,AshishJha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, told USA TODAY evidenced in part by numerousviral videos showing shoppers floutingmask rules.

Critics say mask mandates infringe on their personal freedom.Some right-leaning Americans callmasks a tool of oppression, Democratic conspiracyand even sacrilege.

Evidence showsface coverings are an effective way of slowing the spread of COVID-19, leadingmore state leaders to enact mask mandates. Friday,Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said face coverings were the only way to avoid another shutdown of the state's economy.

Officials voting to require face masks in public have faced lawsuits and have been shouted down by their constituents.

Jha and other experts compare theemergingrules to traffic regulations.

Jorge Meneses obeys the sign on Main Street in Hackensack, N.J., on July 8.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey - USA TODAY NETWORK)

Just as speeding and drinking and driving are dangerous,not wearing a mask during a pandemic is similarly reckless it puts your and others' lives at risk, Jha said.

Asgovernment-issued mask mandatesbecome more common, expertstold USA TODAY those rules along with fines, free masks and education could help shape the behavior of a nation, similar to how traffic enforcement discourages bad driving.

Here's a look at how mask rules are being enforcedand what experts said will work best in changing the behavior of people skeptical of masks.

Like many government actions relating to the coronavirus, states have unveiled a patchwork of rules governing masks. About half of states mandate masks in public.

Enforcement of those rules is uneven. Somelocal governments, including inWest Hollywood, California andPensacola, Florida,plan to use fines to enforce the regulations. Other law enforcement agenciespublicly declinedto enforce the laws.

Some of the most consistent, nationwide enforcement comes from businesses,which have the right to deny service to customers who are not wearing a mask.

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Cincinnati's enforcement strategy serves as an examplefor the rest of the country,Angela Duckworth an author, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania andco-director of the Penn-WhartonBehavior Change for Good Initiative told USA TODAY.

In that system,health inspectors respond to complaints by approaching the unmasked individualandasking, Would you like a mask?

Antonio Young, the Cincinnati Health Department'sdirector of environmental health, said that most of the time, people will comply with the rule at that point. If not, the inspector can issue a $25 fine.

That's the kind of systemDuckworth and Jha hope to see rolled out more widely. They said hallmarks of an effective campaign include:

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Many Americans cherish their individualliberties, and shaping cultural norms even under the best of circumstances can take years.

As the virus has taken hold in more conservative regionsin the South and West,face coveringshave become an unlikely focus of political partisanship, leading to mass refusals to wear them.

Complicating things further, theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledges somehealth concerns in its mask guidance: Wearing a mask"may exacerbate a physical or mental health condition, lead to a medical emergency, or introduce significant safety concerns" in some people.

Some of the most common claims around this exception, such as mask wearingcausing low oxygen levels, have been debunked.Businesses can make reasonable modifications for people with disabilities includingcurbside pickup, offering appointments and face shields instead of face masks,the Southeast ADA Center in Atlanta said.

Other factors contributing to challenges around mask wearing, according toDuckworth and Jha:

President Trump is getting a fresh push to don a face mask during the pandemic from some Republicans and members of Fox News. Buzz60

Social pressure around masks continues to grow.

What started out months ago as a "#maskon" hashtag and online tools that allow users to add a digital mask to theirprofile picture morphed into public shaming ofpeople who have made a scene while defying mask rules,often with political overtones.

The intensity surrounding the issuehas left Jha with mixed feelings.

On one hand, he supports using social pressure to normalize mask wearing. On the other, he worries it could turn into vigilantism.

Most peoplewant to do the right thing," he said. Those who pushback against mask rules have probably been"fed a lot of misinformation.

Contributing:Gus Garcia-Roberts,Adrienne Dunn andKelly Tyko, USA TODAY;Hannah K. Sparling,Cincinnati Enquirer

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Some Americans refuse to mask up. Rules, fines and free masks will change that, experts say. - USA TODAY