America’s casual relationship with danger in the 1960s created health hazards we’d never tolerate now. Remember those summer evenings when DDT-spraying trucks rolled through neighborhoods while children chased the cooling mist that promised relief from mosquitoes? Fresh-faced eighteen-year-olds could legally buy beer to celebrate their college freshman independence, despite growing concerns about young drivers involved in accidents. In rural communities, high school parking lots regularly featured pickup trucks with hunting rifles displayed in rear window racks, ready for after-school hunting trips.
Let’s look into 15 common things from the 1960s that would break today’s laws, each representing a different approach to public safety.
15. Burning Trash in Backyards
On Saturday mornings across America, the weekend ritual of raking leaves and burning trash remains a cherished tradition in countless neighborhoods. The smell of burning paper and yard waste signals the start of weekend chores as reliably as the milkman’s delivery. Families gather around backyard burn barrels, tossing in everything from food scraps to packaging materials without a second thought. Children often help parents tend these small fires, learning practical skills in the process. Scientists have begun murmuring about air quality concerns, but for now, this practical disposal method continues as a standard approach to household waste management. Future generations may find it hard to believe that once upon a time, Americans could legally burn their household waste just steps from their back door, a practice now strictly prohibited by environmental regulations in most municipalities.
14. Discriminatory Voting Practices
At polling stations throughout several states, various voting requirements still effectively prevent many Americans from casting ballots despite recent civil rights legislation. Poll taxes, literacy tests, and property requirements continue to shape electoral participation across regions, particularly in southern states. Local registrars maintain considerable discretion in determining voter eligibility, often applying rules inconsistently among different applicant groups. Community organizations have begun challenging these practices through grassroots education efforts and legal means. The courts have recently signaled potential changes to our electoral landscape. What passes as acceptable legal practice today would shock future citizens, as these voting barriers would eventually be struck down and explicitly outlawed through constitutional amendments and federal legislation.
13. Smoking on Airplanes
High above the clouds, nothing complements the excitement of air travel like lighting up at 30,000 feet. Passengers currently enjoy designated smoking sections on most commercial flights, though the distinction proves largely symbolic as smoke naturally circulates throughout the cabin. Airlines provide ashtrays built into every seat arm as standard equipment, considering them as essential as seat belts. Flight attendants distribute complimentary cigarettes alongside drinks on longer journeys, with certain brands becoming associated with particular carriers. The haze of smoke throughout the cabin is as familiar as the drone of the engines. Though unimaginable to today’s travelers, smoking during flights was not only permitted but actively encouraged—a practice that would be federally banned on domestic flights by 1990 and on all international routes by 2000.
12. Drinking Age and Enforcement
In most states, eighteen-year-olds legally purchase and consume alcohol with minimal oversight. This freedom aligns with other adult rights granted at this age – voting and military service. College freshmen celebrate their newfound independence with legal beer purchases. Parents commonly introduce teenagers to responsible drinking at family gatherings. Law enforcement typically intervenes only in cases of extreme public intoxication, focusing on dangerous behavior rather than the mere presence of alcohol. Safety advocates have begun questioning this approach, noting concerning statistics about young drivers involved in accidents. These advocates would eventually win their battle, as the legal drinking age would be raised to 21 nationwide by 1984, making what is routine today illegal for millions of young adults in the future.
11. Riding in the Back of Pickup Trucks
From rural backroads to small-town parades, America’s love affair with pickup trucks extends beyond utility to recreation. Children routinely pile into truck beds for hayrides or simple trips to town. This practice proves especially common in rural communities where large families and work crews need practical transportation options. The wind in your hair while perched on a truck wheel well creates one of childhood’s simple pleasures. The risk of falling out rarely enters conversation, as balance and common sense prevail. Some medical professionals have begun collecting data on injuries related to this practice, but their concerns remain largely unheeded. Their statistics would eventually prove persuasive, as most states would eventually pass laws prohibiting passengers in cargo areas of pickup trucks—turning this everyday sight into an illegal activity punishable by fines.
10. Bringing Rifles to School
Across America’s heartland, rural students commonly arrive at school with hunting rifles secured in gun racks of their pickups, ready for after-school hunting. Many high schools maintain marksmanship clubs, teaching proper gun handling and shooting techniques. Schools frequently sponsor rifle teams that compete in regional tournaments, promoting discipline and focus. These educational programs build responsibility alongside traditional outdoor skills, with competitions between schools fostering healthy rivalry. This practice reflects the cultural importance of hunting in many communities, connecting young people to longstanding traditions. Future generations would find it inconceivable that firearms were once routine on school property, as zero-tolerance weapons policies would eventually criminalize what is now considered normal and educational.
9. Dangerous Chemistry Sets
Young scientists today explore real chemistry with sets containing dozens of genuine chemicals. These kits allow ambitious youngsters to create impressive reactions, sometimes producing small explosions, colorful smoke, or even controlled small fires as part of their experiments. Some advanced sets even include uranium ore samples for rudimentary atomic experiments. Parents view minor burns or chemical odors as educational growing pains rather than causes for alarm. These hands-on learning tools inspire scientific curiosity and have launched many careers in chemistry and engineering. The occasional mishap seems a small price for authentic scientific experience. Today’s children would hardly recognize these powerful learning tools, as consumer protection laws now prohibit the sale of chemistry sets containing any chemicals capable of producing significant reactions, making yesterday’s standard science toys illegal contraband.
8. Powerful Fireworks
With a bang and a flash, Independence Day celebrations hinge on powerful fireworks available at any roadside stand. Cherry bombs, M-80s, and silver salutes punctuate summer months with satisfying blasts that contain significantly more explosive power than anything available today. Youngsters demonstrate bravery by holding firecrackers until the last possible moment. These explosive diversions provide neighborhood entertainment while teaching valuable lessons about timing and respect for powerful objects. Homemade versions frequently appear alongside commercial products, with informal competitions for the most impressive displays. Medical professionals occasionally voice concerns about injuries, but the tradition continues unabated. The powerful explosives that enliven our current celebrations would eventually be classified as illegal explosive devices under federal law, with possession potentially resulting in felony charges—transforming common childhood toys into restricted items.
7. Open Containers While Driving
Motoring down summer highways, the convenience of enjoying a cold beer remains unquestioned in most jurisdictions. Drive-through liquor stores cater to motorists seeking refreshment without leaving their vehicles. These establishments represent popular stops on weekend routes, with friendly attendants who know regular customers by name. Police officers concern themselves with dangerous driving behaviors rather than the mere presence of beverages, intervening only when drivers show clear impairment. Built-in car coolers keep drinks chilled during extended road trips. This approach aligns with cultural norms that view moderate drinking as compatible with responsible driving. The casual roadside beer that punctuates many weekend drives would eventually become evidence of a crime, as all 50 states would adopt open container laws prohibiting any alcoholic beverage within reach of a driver.
6. Super Elastic Bubble Plastic
Colorful and strange, Wham-O’s newest sensation allows children to create plastic bubbles from tubes of mysterious goo containing polyvinyl acetate and acetone. Kids inhale deeply to inflate these translucent spheres, sometimes experiencing lightheadedness that adds to the entertainment value. The resulting bubbles captivate youngsters before inevitably popping and starting the creative process anew. This unique toy concept has captured children’s imagination nationwide, with neighborhood competitions for the largest or most colorful creations. Parents occasionally note the strong chemical smell but generally accept it as part of the toy’s charm. Future consumer protection regulations would eventually classify this popular toy as a dangerous product containing harmful solvents and presenting an inhalation hazard, making what is currently a bestseller completely illegal to market to children.
5. Unrestricted Movie Content
Without rating systems or content warnings, Hollywood currently enjoys unprecedented creative freedom, producing acclaimed films like “Bonnie and Clyde,” “The Wild Bunch,” and “Rosemary’s Baby.” These artistic expressions tackle mature themes including explicit violence, strong language, and adult content without standardized rating restrictions. Parents rely on their judgment rather than external ratings to determine appropriate viewing for their children, often consulting with theater managers or newspaper reviews for guidance. Movie theaters apply inconsistent standards across regions, with some implementing their own informal advisories. This freedom fosters cinematic innovation and authentic storytelling that reflects changing societal norms and values. The unrestricted access that today’s youth enjoy to all forms of cinema would soon give way to the MPAA rating system, with legal enforcement prohibiting minors from viewing certain categories of films—transforming universal admission into a regulated, age-restricted activity.
4. Drop-Side Cribs
Practical and convenient, drop-side cribs make infant care more manageable for parents across America. These popular nursery fixtures allow easy access to sleeping babies through a sliding rail mechanism. The practical design helps mothers and fathers tend to children without unnecessary bending, particularly useful after cesarean deliveries. This ingenious feature proves especially helpful for shorter parents who might otherwise struggle to lift sleeping infants from standard cribs. Virtually every American baby spends its early months in these practical sleep environments, with the design remaining largely unchanged for decades. Furniture stores prominently display these cribs as essential purchases for expecting parents. The very cribs that cradle nearly every American infant today would eventually be banned entirely from production and sale after reports of infant deaths and injuries, making what is currently standard nursery equipment illegal to manufacture or sell.
3. DDT Spraying
Cooling mist fills the evening air as mosquito control trucks spray DDT through neighborhoods during summer evenings. Children typically chase these vehicles, delighting in the fog that promises relief from biting insects. This public health measure keeps disease-carrying pests at bay while providing unexpected recreation for youngsters. The familiar smell signals summer as definitively as freshly cut grass. Public health officials praise this insecticide for dramatically reducing mosquito populations and associated diseases like malaria worldwide. The chemical’s effectiveness has made it a standard tool in municipal pest control programs across the country, with widespread public support for continued application. The very substance currently sprayed freely in residential neighborhoods would eventually be classified as a dangerous persistent organic pollutant, with its use banned in the United States and most developed nations—criminalizing what is now standard public health practice.
2. Glass Soda Bottles
Hefty and familiar in the hand, glass soda bottles represent American refreshment at its finest. These thick glass containers keep beverages properly chilled and require built-in openers on vending machines. The deposit system encourages returns while teaching children early lessons about financial responsibility, with many youngsters funding small purchases through bottle collection. The distinctive shapes identify brands from across a crowded picnic, with regional varieties sparking friendly debates about superior taste. This environmentally friendly approach ensures bottles get reused dozens of times before replacement, though the additional weight increases transportation costs for beverage companies. Collectors already value certain designs, suggesting these everyday items may someday become sought-after memorabilia. While not strictly illegal today, liability concerns and safety regulations would eventually make these thick glass containers largely extinct in the American beverage landscape, like many other practices from the 1960s that are now obsolete.
1. Realistic Toy Guns
Cowboys and outlaws come alive when neighborhood games revolve around realistic cap guns and toy rifles. Children reenact favorite television westerns or play cops and robbers with startlingly authentic replicas made of metal with realistic weight and feel. Cap guns produce satisfying sounds and smoke, adding to the immersive play experience. These toys foster imaginative play while connecting youngsters to America’s frontier heritage and reflecting popular themes in television and movies. The toys promote active outdoor play and social interaction among neighborhood children. Distinguishing between toys and real firearms requires minimal effort, with bright colors occasionally marking newer models, though most maintain their realistic appearance that children prefer. The realistic toy weapons that occupy prominent positions in toy stores today would eventually be strictly regulated, with federal laws requiring bright colors and distinctive markings—making the authentic-looking replicas children currently enjoy illegal to manufacture or sell.
