Top 10 Deadly Products That Werent Banned
#10: Austin Magic Pistol
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Kids have been drawn to toy guns for a long time. This fascination with make-believe weaponry included the Austin Magic Pistol, which in 1940 was considered to be the hot new toy. Unfortunately, unlike the Nerf guns and Super Soakers of today, the Austin Magic Pistol was incredibly dangerous. In fact, it was banned by a new law in Virginia in 1950, and would now be classed as a firearm in many parts of the world! What could make a play gun so dangerous? Acetylene gas, which would cause a fiery explosion within the pistol to launch its ammo. This could cause severe burns or project bits of plastic toward the user’s face.
#9: IKEA’s Malm Dressers
When thinking about dangerous products, dressers probably aren’t the first thing to come to mind. Nonetheless, the IKEA Malm dressers had some difficulties anchoring to walls, and thus could tip over and become a serious hazard. This was especially true for the children’s dressers, which would topple when a kid stood on the bottom shelf to reach something on the top. After six deaths were linked to the product, IKEA made the decision to recall it. At least, that’s what they did in the US and Canada. In spite of the known risks, the dressers continued to be sold in Europe and, for a short while, in China - with Chinese IKEAs only recalling the product after pressure from customers to do so.
#8: Stevens' Model Dockyard Locomotive
With the popularity of trains on the rise, toy companies in the 1800s were eager to make a miniature version that moved like the real thing. The Stevens Company made it work, but with one major caveat - it moved a little too much like the real thing. Unlike toy trains of today, which primarily move with electricity, the Stevens’ Model Dockyard Locomotive had an engine which required kids to light kerosene or alcohol to use. Even worse, these miniature trains were infamous for leaving a small trail of watered-down kerosene or alcohol behind them. Somehow none of these safety concerns seemed to matter to consumers at the time, and these dangerous model trains became a smash hit.
#7: General Motors
In February of 2014, General Motors recalled 800,000 of its cars due to faulty ignition switches known to shut off the cars’ engines while the vehicles were in motion. As the year went on, so did the company’s recalls, and, by the end of June, close to 29 million North American cars had been deemed unsafe. It may seem from these numbers that they did the right thing, but in actuality, General Motors had known about their faulty ignition systems for almost a decade. Government regulars remained in the dark, which is why the product was never actually ‘banned’. General Motors’ negligence would ultimately cost the company more money, and would cost over 100 customers their lives.
#6: Gilbert Chemistry Set
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Getting kids interested in science is a good thing! But risking their safety in the process? Not so much. Introduced in the 1920s, the Gilbert Chemistry Set was a hit with both parents and children alike. However, it contained dangerous materials, including ammonium nitrate, which can be used to make homemade explosives, and potassium permanganate, which is used as a fire starter. The kit came with instructions on how kids could create explosives. The only warning? Make sure not to make those explosions too big. Infamously, the company’s Atomic Energy kit included radioactive materials! Their sets only fell out of favor in the 1960s, with new safety regulations.
#5: Cutter Biological Blood Clot Medication
The HIV/AIDs epidemic of the 1980s disproportionately affected the LGBTQ+ community, both in terms of nationwide marginalization and the virus’s death toll. Hemophiliacs aren’t discussed as often, but they also contracted HIV in large numbers, not from other human beings, but from medication. In 1983, it was determined that Cutter Biological blood clot medicine was causing HIV/AIDs in an alarming number of users, causing it to quickly be removed from shelves… in Europe and the United States. In spite of the danger, however, Cutter Biological continued to sell and produce the old product in Asia and Latin America, before switching to the newer, safer stock.
#4: McDonald’s Glassware
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If you live in the US, you’ve likely seen McDonald’s glassware - whether that be in your grandma’s cabinets, on a teacher’s desk, or at the local thrift store. The fast food giant sold these pop culture glass sets for decades, not stopping until a 2010 controversy surrounding the amount of cadmium in “Shrek Forever After” glasses led to the recall of 12 million products. This recall never extended to past glassware, but a viral 2019 blog post by “Lead Safe Mama” led to renewed interest in the safety of these popular products. The post claimed a 1978 Garfield glass also contained cadmium, as well as 99,300 ppm lead- a far cry from the current legal limit for lead in children’s products, which is 90 ppm.
#3: Hydroxycut
For many, New Year’s Resolutions often include some form of getting in shape - whether that be through dieting or regular exercise. When time is inevitably not on their side, however, some give up conventional methods of weight loss for dietary supplements - like Hydroxycut. Unfortunately, the promise to lose weight fast comes at a cost. Users of Hydroxycut reported issues ranging from jaundice to heart problems and liver failure. In at least one case, a consumer even died from side effects caused by the supplement. These serious allegations led to a recall and change of formula, but many suggest the new formula isn’t much safer than the last.
#2: Monster Energy Drinks
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“Unleash the Beast” …but do so responsibly. Monster Energy has provided a popular drink option for teens and young adults alike, but the brand has been criticized over the years for the amount of caffeine present in its product. Although the drinks have been on the market since 2002, they weren’t officially considered “beverages” by the FDA until 2013. During this time period, the company was blamed for the deaths of five separate people, who claimed that the heightened amounts of caffeine present in the product caused fatal heart issues. While the caffeine content has been capped in Canada, in the US, it’s remained the same, the only difference being that the amount is noted on the can’s label.
#1: Tesla Autopilot System
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Eccentric billionaire Elon Musk seems like a perpetual magnet for controversy, and his primary pet project, Tesla, is no exception. The luxury electric car brand launched autopilot software in vehicles as early as 2015, and pushed out a beta for Full Self-Driving software in late 2020. Both of these announcements were met with heavy skepticism regarding safety from consumers and auto analysts alike - and, as time goes on, it has become apparent that these critics were right to be skeptical. In less than a year, the NHTSA reported 273 crashes of Tesla vehicles using autopilot. For at least two drivers, those crashes were fatal. Musk seems unconcerned with these alarming numbers, blaming the crashes on the “overconfidence” of inexperienced users.
