We tell our kids about the good old days, BUT REALLY?!
So let’s look back a bit.
1. Cigarettes Everywhere
• Doctors recommended smoking—some even appeared in cigarette ads.
• Patients were allowed (and even encouraged) to smoke in hospitals, including maternity wards.
• Smoking was seen as glamorous, calming, and socially acceptable pretty much everywhere.
2. Radiation and X-rays
• X-rays were overused—shoe stores even had fluoroscopes to show how shoes fit kids’ feet (hello, radiation exposure!).
• Radiation was sometimes used for things like treating acne or even removing unwanted hair.
3. Lead-Based Products
• Lead paint was still common, including in toys and homes.
• Leaded gasoline was widely used, contributing to serious air and soil contamination.
4. Asbestos Use
• Asbestos was everywhere—in insulation, buildings, and even clothing (like firefighter suits), with no awareness of the long-term health risks like mesothelioma.
5. Lobotomies and Mental Health Treatment
• Lobotomies were a popular treatment for mental illness.
• Electroshock therapy was common, often without anesthesia or proper consent.
• Mental illness was heavily stigmatized, and institutions were often abusive or neglectful.
6. Child Safety? Not Really
• No car seats or seat belts—kids rode on laps or stood in the car.
• Toys had sharp edges, toxic paint, and small parts without warning labels.
• Secondhand smoke exposure was constant for children.
7. Workplace Hazards
• No real worker protections—long hours, unsafe factories, and child labor in some areas.
• Exposure to chemicals, noise, and physical danger was routine.
8. Racism and Sexism
• Segregation and systemic racism were legal in many places (especially in the U.S.).
• Women were expected to leave jobs after WWII and return to housewife roles.
• Domestic violence was often ignored or normalized.
9. Medical Practices
• No antibiotics for everything—penicillin was still new and rationed during the war.
• Clinical trials lacked ethics—often done without informed consent, especially on vulnerable groups.
