Buzz
In a world increasingly obsessed with 'health and safety,' even a simple family outing or neighborhood gathering can become a tedious, slow-paced experience. That grill is dangerously hot—keep the kids away. How deep is that pool? That popcorn could cause choking—better have some celery soup with your movie instead. Sometimes, it's important to live a little, but not with these products. The items listed here can burn, choke, or even eject your eyes in a split second. Enjoy if you dare.
10. Norodin, Also Known as Speed
Who doesn't appreciate meth? It's a favorite of countless users around the globe who take it to boost their energy levels before engaging in various activities, including theft, prostitution, and declaring themselves the messiah while naked at a public swimming pool.
In the past, methamphetamines were legally available for purchase. One brand of the drug, Norodin, was marketed to women looking to shed some pounds. Speed was widespread—you could even get a Benzedrine inhaler, paired with a large scotch and a chicken dinner, on PanAm flights during the 1940s. That’s exactly the type of passenger you want on a long transatlantic flight—a meth enthusiast sitting next to you in the middle seat. Speed became widely popular until a series of high-profile criminal cases worldwide revealed that the abuse of these narcotics played a role in the incidents. The control of the drug shifted from pharmacists to local drug dealers, adding a touch of rustic, home-grown charm to meth production.
9. A Variety of Products from the A.C. Gilbert Company
A.C. Gilbert was known for making some fascinating toys, but he also created some of the most perilous 'toys' a child could ever encounter. While small cuts, mild burns, choking risks, and pinched fingers are commonplace in kids' toys, radiation poisoning? That’s a whole new level. Gilbert, a brilliant inventor, certainly found unique and dangerous ways to seriously harm children.
The 'Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab' allowed young minds to experiment with various uranium ores, producing gamma, alpha, and beta radiation. What a blast! Gilbert also crafted a glass-blowing kit for children (presumably so they could engage in an unreasonably dangerous version of pea-shooters) and a chemistry set that included a generous amount of sodium cyanide, just in case little Bobby Jr. wanted to eliminate the Russian spy next door—or maybe whip up a very questionable milkshake for himself.
8. Hair Removal Techniques of the 1920s
Today, people use waxing, shaving, epilating, and laser treatments to get rid of unwanted hair. But how did women in the 1920s handle it? With X-rays. No joke, folks. X-rays.
The 'Tricho' machines, once a common sight in beauty salons across the United States, directed X-rays onto customers' cheeks and upper lips. After around 15 treatments each year, these machines would effectively remove hair permanently. And, of course, they also brought along the risk of malignant carcinomas. Possibly even death. Given that hair removal is now a more common practice for men, you might wonder if this was just a danger for women in the 1920s. Incredible, right? The marvels of progress and science! So, next time you break your arm, don’t ask the person operating the X-ray machine to take care of your back, sack, and crack. You might lose some hair, but you’ll gain a few tumors instead.
7. The Empire Little Lady Stove
We’re all familiar with the risks associated with the once-popular kids’ 'Easy Bake Oven.' This tiny kitchen appliance allowed children to cook their own food. But for every perfect jam tart, you were bound to end up with a burn (we’ve all experienced it—spun sugar is basically napalm). Now, imagine scaling that down and letting little ones play with it. You’re basically setting up a trip to the burn unit with little Jinny or Jimmy. Picture a toy oven that could heat up to temperatures higher than your full-sized kitchen oven. That was the Empire Little Lady Stove.
Modern ovens typically reach around 550 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point a safety mechanism kicks in to prevent the oven from burning down the house. But this children’s toy could get up to a blazing 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot enough to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies in 35 seconds. Ah, the good old days.
6. The Zulu Blowgun Game
Zulu warriors had a variety of deadly weapons at their disposal when they went to war. However, blowguns weren't among them. But to the creators of this absurdly unsafe game, that distinction didn’t matter. It was a match made in disaster—unsafe and utterly tone-deaf!
The game in question came with a blowgun, paper targets, and metal-tipped darts. So, basically a real weapon. It’s like handing a child a loaded Glock 17 and calling it their ‘new shooting game,’ all without any training. Go ahead, kid. Time to learn how to LARP, right?
5. Highly Flammable Clothing
As Dr. Nick Riviera once said, 'Inflammable means flammable? What a country!' Once you figure out the definitions, you can venture into the world and realize that wearing a wire wool jacket at a 9V battery factory is probably not the smartest choice. Victorian women had a wide selection of dangerously combustible fabrics to choose from in a world still lit by candles and gas flames. Muslin, gauze, and other loosely woven cotton fabrics for dresses were pretty much like wearing a dress made of match heads. One of the most ridiculous options was flannelette.
The coroner of Manchester, England, summed it up best when interviewed by a local newspaper in 1898:
He remarked that he had 'held several inquests on children who perished from burns after playing with fire in various ways.' Mr. Smelt mentioned that there had been seven such fatalities in a week, which he attributed to the recent cold weather. Children, seeking warmth, would approach fires. Therefore, it was crucial for parents to supervise them closely. Additionally, they should avoid dressing children in flannelette, as it was nearly as hazardous as gunpowder when exposed to fire. Still, those dresses were quite fashionable.
4. Roman Blinds
Some of these entries seem to focus on dangers to children. While toys are naturally a child-centric concern, window coverings? Yes, even those pose a threat. These stylish roller blinds are nearly impossible to find in the U.S. today, at least not with the traditional pull cords.
You might think this is a case of safety gone too far, perhaps some overreaction to avoid lawsuits after one or two incidents involving friction burns or cords getting caught in a child’s eye. But according to data from 2015, more than 200 child deaths were linked to pull cords on window coverings. Major retailers like Target and IKEA have since removed them from their shelves. Fair enough.
3. Any Car Before the 90s
When you look at vintage car crash photos (if that's your thing), you might wonder why anyone would ever buy a car back then. They were basically death traps.
Car enthusiasts, especially those in the U.S., are familiar with the notorious Ford Pinto (available from 1971 to 1980), which had a brilliantly dangerous design—the fuel tank was right next to the rear bumper. So even a minor fender bender could turn into a fiery disaster. And what about even earlier models? The Briggs & Stratton Flyer, perhaps the cheapest car ever made, was essentially a wooden go-kart. It had no doors, no windshield, and absolutely no safety features. It might seem fun until you realize that adding a scarf to your outfit practically guarantees you’ll lose your head.
Speaking of gruesome car accident deaths, here’s a fun fact for all you vintage car collectors out there. If you drive a car made before 1968, the steering column won’t collapse on impact. So, what’s the big deal? Well, without a collapsible column, the waist belt (which, by the way, probably isn't a 3-point seatbelt) won’t stop you from getting impaled on the fixed steering column. Even those beloved classic cars are incredibly unsafe. For example, if you fancy yourself as a Marty McFly and get a DeLorean, you’ll look cool... until some idiot cuts you off and you flip the car over. Now you’re trapped in a metal coffin facing certain doom. Why? The DeLorean's iconic gull-wing doors won’t open when the car is upside down. Talk about a death trap. Guess you should have kissed your teenage mom instead... 'Great Scott!'
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 7
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hit the market with a bang in August 2016, becoming the latest must-have device from the South Korean tech giant. It sparked excitement among users... before turning into a literal fire hazard due to faulty batteries.
Initially, the newly released Note 7s would go up in flames. Samsung offered to replace these faulty devices with new ones that were supposedly safer. The issue? These replacement phones also overheated and exploded. As a result, Samsung had no choice but to pull the plug. Along with hundreds of disappointed customers whose new devices went up in smoke, Samsung suffered a major hit, losing around $17 billion in revenue. Ouch!
1. Agene-Treated Flour
White bread was once considered the height of sophistication until sourdough and malted loaves with a honey glaze and mixed seeds took over. The whiter the bread, the 'better.' As mass production boomed and wages rose at the turn of the century, the demand for perfectly white bread skyrocketed. But how could bakers deliver that glossy, brilliant white loaf that consumers desired?
It all came down to the milling process. The whiter the flour, the whiter the bread. To achieve this, bakers would bleach the flour, artificially whitening it until loaves were so white they could rival Casper the Friendly Ghost's rear end. One of the chemicals used in this process was nitrogen trichloride, or agene. In 1949, it was discovered that this treatment was making the flour unsafe for human consumption, causing neurological issues. How did they discover this? Agene was also used in dog biscuits, and dogs that consumed them began showing signs of hysteria. Hysterical dogs—an unmistakable sign that something was wrong.
