'70s & '80s Commonalities That Were Really Killing Us
Back in the ’70s and ’80s, danger didn’t wear warning labels. It appeared in bright colors, lived inside your house, rode in your car, and waited for you after school, acting completely normal. Nobody called it unsafe. Nobody asked questions. That was just life.
Homes were packed with sharp edges, toxic fumes, and ideas that sounded smart for about five minutes. Cars doubled as rolling experiments. Childhood came with objects that burned, pinched, shocked, or quietly poisoned you while adults smoked nearby.
It’s a miracle so many people survived this casual approach to living.
Asbestos Everything
Insulation and tiles filled homes with fibers that stayed deadly decades later.
Helmet Shame
Head protection lost to peer pressure and vibes.
Toxic Plastics
Cheap toys leached chemicals straight into mouths.
Lap Seatbelt
Adults “held” kids in crashes physics never agreed with.
Lead Paint
Common household paint quietly poisoned kids through walls, toys, and peeling chips.
Metal Slides
Playground slides reached skin-melting temperatures by noon.
Chloroform Calming
Sedating kids crossed from parenting into medical roulette.
Water Sports
Jet skis and skis ran fast with no spotters or vests.
Smoking Pregnant
Cigarettes stayed common during pregnancy despite fetal risks.
Loose Mercury
Broken thermometers became shiny toys and breathing hazards.
Sunburn Culture
Burned skin counted as proof the day worked.
Ipecac Syrup
Poison treatment involved forcing more damage on the way out.
Construction Playgrounds
Empty lots and job sites doubled as unsupervised playgrounds.
Talcum Powder
Baby powder sometimes came with trace asbestos.
Leaded Gas
Exhaust pumps neurotoxins straight into the city air.
Truck Bed Rides
Kids bounced loose at highway speeds with no protection.
Kerosene Heaters
Portable heaters tipped easily and filled rooms with fire and fumes.
Naked Outlets
Exposed sockets invited curious fingers and metal objects.
Wide Crib Bars
Baby cribs allowed heads to slip through and get stuck.
Indoor Smoking
Cigarettes filled cars, planes, and diners with secondhand smoke.
