Remember all those things from our childhood that used to be commonplace – Teflon, lead paint, asbestos?
Ignorance truly was bliss, wasn’t it? Cause we now know – they’re dangerous!
It’s crazy how much perspectives on different chemicals and substances being in your home has changed from generation to generation. As kids we ate, drank, and played with so many things that, in reality, we probably shouldn’t have been touching.
We’ve learned a lot about the effects of exposure to toxic materials, not to mention what is and isn’t dangerous in other ways. Let’s be real – Heroin was used medicinally (and recreationally) in the 19th century.
Knobs and ornamental designs on dashboards were dangerous to drivers and front-seat passengers in cars with steel dashboards. Why? Because no seatbelts at the time, and certainly no airbags! But why would you need those, when you just held onto your kids – unless you took a turn a little too fast. “You’ll be fine- stop your whining!”
The Mike and Carla Morning Show talked about those things that used to be common, but are now known to be very dangerous. For better or worse, we are still here. Looking back, it might be pretty amazing that we are – or we’re just lucky!
I can’t help but wonder though, what common, everyday things from TODAY will be considered “super dangerous” 30 to 50 years from now?
Will we be saying “can you believe we let cars drive themselves back in the 2020’s?” Or, “how did I lose my big toe? An electric skateboard. I was flying when this self driving Tesla turned in front of me, and their Robot flew out of the back window.”
More on this story and others in today’s edition of a Few Things You Should Know!
And below are the some of those things that we never thought much about – but that can kill us now!
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Lead Based Paint and Leaded Gas
According to the EPA, “87% of homes built before 1940 have some lead-based paint, while 24% of homes built between 1960 and 1978 have some lead-based paint.”
Baloncici via Getty Images
Buildings and household appliances filled with asbestos.
A number of household appliances including stoves, toasters, slow cookers, and bottle warmers contained asbestos for the majority of the 20th century.
Berman via Getty Images
Mercury
As kids there was nothing more fun than a thermometer breaking, and trying to pick up the Mercury. Science teachers still use liquid mercury in school experiments.
Ados via Getty Images
What Car Seats?
Kids could sit in the front seat if they wanted, and babies could be held by someone who wasn’t driving. Car seats didn’t become a mainstay until the ’80s into the ’90s. Till then it was, “hang onto the kids, we’re making a turn!”
Image source via Getty Images
Baby Bourbon
Using alcohol to soothe teething babies. This was the hottest parenting tip oever, back in the day! Rather frowned upon by modern medicine now. Although parents still teeth themselves with it.
Dmiitri Guldin via Getty Images
Lysol
Lysol was used as a douche for women – no I am not kidding. It was also subtly marketed as a method of birth control. WTH????
KurcherAV Via Getty Images
Hitchhiking
You’d never dream of hitchhiking today, but it was once a pretty popular way of getting around, and just plain traveling prior to the ’80s.
Image Source via Getty Images
