10 Things That Were Normal in the 1970s and Are Unthinkable Today

Ask anyone who grew up in the 1970s about their childhood, and you will probably hear stories that make younger people gasp. Kids rode in the back of pickup trucks, adults smoked in hospitals, and nobody thought twice about drinking from a garden hose. Life moved at a different pace, and many of the safety rules and social norms we take for granted today simply did not exist.

For people who lived through it, the decade feels like yesterday. For their children and grandchildren, it can sound like another planet. Many of the changes since then came from new research, new laws, and hard lessons learned about health and safety.

Some of these old habits are best left in the past. Others remind people of a time when life felt simpler and freer. Here are ten things that were normal in the 1970s and seem unthinkable today.

1. Smoking Almost Everywhere

In the 1970s, cigarettes were part of everyday life. People smoked in offices, restaurants, airplanes, hospitals, and even classrooms. Ashtrays sat on desks, tables, and car dashboards, and many homes kept them in every room.

Smoking on domestic airline flights was not fully banned until 1990, when the federal ban was extended to nearly all domestic flights. Many restaurants had smoking sections well into the 1990s and 2000s.

Today, smoking is banned in most indoor public places, and smoking rates have dropped sharply. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that cigarette smoking among U.S. adults has fallen to historic lows.

2. Riding Without Seat Belts

In the 1970s, many cars had seat belts, but few people wore them. Children bounced around in the back seat, sat on their parents’ laps in the front, or lay across the rear window shelf. Car seats for young children were rare and often flimsy.

The first state law requiring adults to wear seat belts was not passed until 1984, in New York. Child car seat laws spread across the country in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Today, nearly every state requires seat belts, and children ride in carefully tested car seats and booster seats. Riding without a seat belt seems unthinkable to many parents.

3. Riding in the Back of Pickup Trucks

On summer days, kids often piled into the open bed of a pickup truck for a ride to the lake, the ball field, or the ice cream stand. It was considered a fun treat. Nobody worried about safety.

Today, many states restrict or ban passengers from riding in truck beds, especially children. Safety experts warn that riders can be thrown from the truck in a crash or sudden stop.

Many older adults remember these rides fondly. But few parents today would let their children ride in the back of a truck.

4. Letting Kids Roam Free All Day

In the 1970s, children often left the house in the morning and did not come back until dinner. They rode bikes, explored the woods, and played with friends all over the neighborhood. Parents rarely knew exactly where they were.

The rule was simple: be home when the streetlights came on. There were no cell phones, so kids had to be responsible for themselves.

Today, many parents keep a closer eye on their children, and kids spend more time indoors. Many people who grew up in the 1970s say their freedom taught them independence. It is one of the things only people who grew up in the 70s will understand.

5. Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking was a common way to travel in the 1970s, especially for young people. Students hitchhiked across the country, and drivers often picked up strangers on the side of the road. Many people saw it as an adventure.

Over time, fears about crime and safety made hitchhiking much less common. Many states have laws restricting hitchhiking on highways.

Today, picking up a stranger or hitching a ride seems risky to most people. Ride-sharing apps have replaced much of the casual hitchhiking of the past.

6. Drinking From the Garden Hose

On hot summer days, kids drank straight from the garden hose. Nobody worried about bacteria or chemicals. The water was warm at first, then cold, and it tasted like rubber.

Today, many parents worry about lead and other chemicals in hoses, and many kids drink from reusable water bottles instead. The garden hose drink has become a nostalgic memory. For many people who grew up in the 1970s, drinking from the hose is one of the most iconic memories of childhood.

7. Playing on Dangerous Playgrounds

Playgrounds in the 1970s featured tall metal slides, wooden seesaws, merry-go-rounds, and monkey bars over hard concrete or packed dirt. Metal slides could get blisteringly hot in the summer. Injuries were common.

Today, playgrounds are designed with safety in mind. They have soft surfaces, lower equipment, and plastic slides. Federal safety guidelines for public playgrounds help reduce injuries.

Many older adults remember the thrill of the old playgrounds. But many parents are glad their children play on safer equipment.

8. Doctors Advertising Cigarettes

In earlier decades, cigarette ads sometimes featured doctors recommending certain brands. By the 1970s, those ads were gone, but cigarette commercials were still common on radio and in magazines. Television and radio cigarette ads were banned in 1971.

Many adults in the 1970s grew up seeing cigarettes as glamorous and sophisticated. Movie stars, athletes, and cartoon characters were used to sell them.

Today, cigarette advertising is heavily restricted, and warning labels appear on every pack. The idea of a doctor recommending a cigarette brand seems shocking.

9. Using Lead Paint and Leaded Gasoline

In the 1970s, lead paint was still found in many homes, and most cars ran on leaded gasoline. Many people did not understand the health risks of lead exposure.

The federal government banned lead-based paint in homes in 1978. Leaded gasoline was phased out over the following years and was banned for use in cars in 1996.

Today, we know that lead exposure can cause serious health problems, especially in children. The removal of lead from paint and gasoline is considered one of the great public health achievements of the twentieth century.

10. Leaving Doors Unlocked

In many small towns and suburbs in the 1970s, people left their doors unlocked and their car keys in the ignition. Neighbors walked into each other’s homes without knocking. Many families did not even know where their house keys were.

Today, many people lock their doors, install security cameras, and use alarm systems. The idea of leaving a door unlocked seems unthinkable to many.

Many older adults say they miss the sense of trust and community they felt in those days. It is one of the boomer childhood things that vanished.

Why So Much Has Changed

Many of the changes since the 1970s came from new research on health and safety. Scientists learned more about the dangers of smoking, lead, and car crashes. Lawmakers passed new rules to protect people, especially children.

Social changes also played a role. Concerns about crime, changes in family life, and new technology have reshaped how people live and raise their children.

Looking Back With a Smile

Many people who grew up in the 1970s look back on their childhoods with fondness and humor. They survived things that would horrify parents today, and they often say it made them tougher. At the same time, many are grateful for the safety improvements that protect their grandchildren.

Which of these things do you remember from the 1970s, and which one would shock your grandkids the most? Many readers say drinking from the garden hose is still their favorite memory.