16 Normal Things From the 1980s That Are Banned in Texas Today

The 1980s weren’t that long ago, but some of the everyday habits from that era feel almost shocking by today’s standards.

For kids growing up in Texas during the ’80s, many of these once-normal experiences were just part of a regular day. Today, they’d raise eyebrows or even get you into legal trouble.

Let’s look back at a decade where common sense ruled and figure out how we got from there to here.

Smoking in Restaurants and Airplanes

In the 1980s, smoking in public places was common. Restaurants had smoking sections, and airplanes handed out tiny ashtrays with your in-flight snack.

Lighting up indoors wasn’t seen as strange. It was normal to eat dinner next to someone puffing away at the next table.

Today, indoor smoking is banned in most states across the country. Public health laws have cracked down hard, and for good reason.

What once felt casual is now a clear health hazard, and it’s hard to imagine going back.

BB Guns Marketed as Toys

BB guns were often sold in toy sections and given as gifts to kids. They were seen as fun and harmless if used responsibly, and many children were allowed to play with them without much supervision.

Popular culture, like A Christmas Story, treated them as a rite of passage.

Today, BB guns are regulated more carefully. Many stores keep them locked up and require a person over the age of 18 to purchase them.

In some cities, they’re banned outright or treated like real firearms.

The days of wrapping a BB gun up for a child’s birthday are largely gone.

Riding in the Back of Pickup Trucks

If you were a kid in the 1980s, riding in the bed of a pickup truck was considered fun. It was a treat to feel the wind in your hair while bouncing around on a country road.

No one wore seat belts, and few adults worried about safety.

Today, riding in the back of a moving truck is banned or restricted in most states, especially on highways, and especially for children.

It’s considered too dangerous and is often punished with a fine.

What used to be a childhood thrill is now against the law in many areas.

Metal Playground Equipment on Concrete

Playgrounds in the 1980s were built for toughness, not comfort. Slides were made of hot metal. Monkey bars sat over blacktop or gravel. Jungle gyms were tall and unforgiving.

If you fell, you got bruised. That was just how it worked.

These days, safety rules require softer surfaces like rubber padding or mulch. Playground structures are shorter, smoother, and built with fewer sharp edges.

Those wild playgrounds of the past wouldn’t pass inspection today.

Leaving Kids Alone in the Car

In the 1980s, it wasn’t unusual for parents to leave kids in the car while they ran into the store. The windows might be cracked, but the engine was off and the doors were locked.

Sometimes a child would wait alone for ten or fifteen minutes without a second thought.

Today, leaving a child unattended in a car is illegal in many states and could result in criminal charges.

The risk of heatstroke and kidnapping is taken very seriously.

This once-common parenting move is now seen as dangerous and irresponsible.

Fireworks Sold to Kids at the Corner Store

Buying sparklers, bottle rockets, or firecrackers from a local stand was a summer tradition for many 1980s kids. Stores didn’t always check ages, and parents often looked the other way.

Lighting fireworks in the yard or street was part of Fourth of July fun.

Now, most states have strict rules about who can buy fireworks and where they can be used. Many types are banned altogether.

That carefree access to pyrotechnics has largely disappeared.

Riding Bikes Without Helmets

In the 1980s, wearing a bike helmet was rare. Most kids cruised through neighborhoods with the wind in their hair and zero protective gear.

Parents didn’t insist on helmets, and many kids didn’t even own one. It just wasn’t part of the routine.

Today, many states and cities have helmet laws for children, and schools often run bike safety programs. Not wearing a helmet is now considered risky and sometimes illegal.

What once felt like freedom now comes with a strong warning label.

Lawn Darts as a Family Game

Lawn darts—also known as Jarts—were a staple of backyard fun. The heavy metal-tipped darts were thrown into the air toward a plastic ring on the grass.

It was all fun and games until injuries became too common. The sharp ends were dangerous, especially for kids.

By the late 1980s, the U.S. government banned the sale of traditional lawn darts due to the growing number of accidents.

Today, safer versions exist, but the original sets are outlawed for good reason.

Drinking Water Straight From the Hose

In the summertime, kids didn’t run inside for a bottle of water. They turned on the garden hose and took a long drink right there in the yard.

No one worried about germs or plastic safety. The water was cold and convenient, and that was enough.

Today, parents are more cautious. Concerns about bacteria, lead pipes, and plastic hoses have made this practice less common.

While not strictly illegal, it’s now widely discouraged for health reasons.

Teachers Using Corporal Punishment in Class

In the 1980s, it wasn’t unheard of for teachers or principals to discipline students with a wooden paddle. Some schools even had them hanging on the wall as a warning.

Parents often supported it, and students accepted it as part of school discipline.

Today, corporal punishment is banned in public schools in most states. The idea of physical discipline in a classroom would shock many modern parents.

What was once routine now feels deeply out of place in today’s education system.

Hitchhiking Without Fear

In the 1980s, hitchhiking was still considered a fairly normal way to get around. People stuck out their thumbs along highways, and it wasn’t uncommon for strangers to pull over and offer a ride.

Movies and music often romanticized the idea of hitching a ride across the country.

Today, it’s seen as risky and is discouraged by law enforcement. In many places, it’s outright banned on highways and interstates due to safety concerns.

Something that once seemed adventurous is now treated as a serious safety issue.

Parents Smoking Around Kids

It was once common for parents to smoke at home, in the car, and even inside the house with the windows closed. Ashtrays sat on coffee tables, and cigarette smoke was just part of the air.

Kids grew up surrounded by it, often without a second thought.

Today, secondhand smoke is known to be dangerous. Smoking in a car with children is illegal in many states, and most people avoid lighting up around kids.

The shift in awareness has made this old habit almost unthinkable today.

Candy Cigarettes Sold at the Register

Candy cigarettes were a familiar treat in the 1980s. They looked like the real thing and were often packaged to mimic adult cigarette brands.

Kids would pretend to smoke them, thinking it made them look cool or grown-up.

Now, these products are banned in many places. Critics say they encouraged children to normalize smoking. The sale and marketing of candy cigarettes have been heavily restricted or stopped altogether.

What once felt like harmless fun is now seen as a dangerous influence.

Lead in Toys and Household Products

Toys in the 1980s were colorful, durable, and… sometimes coated in lead-based paint.

Many imported items didn’t meet safety standards, and regulations were less strict than they are today.

Kids put these toys in their mouths without knowing the risks.

Today, there are federal laws that ban lead in toys and children’s products. Safety testing is required before many items hit the shelves.

Lead exposure in childhood is now known to cause serious health problems, and it’s no longer taken lightly.

Unsafe Car Seats and Loose Seat Belts

In the 1980s, car seats looked more like booster cushions than serious safety devices. Some were made of flimsy plastic, and many weren’t even buckled in properly.

Parents often held babies in their laps or let kids lie down in the backseat during road trips.

Today’s car seat laws are strict, with guidelines based on age, height, and weight. Modern seats must pass safety tests, and installation is often checked by professionals.

Those casual travel habits from the past are now illegal and considered highly dangerous.

No Restrictions on TV Content for Kids

Television in the 1980s was bold, loud, and often unfiltered. Cartoons could be violent, commercials pushed sugary products, and shows sometimes included adult jokes without warning.

There were fewer rules about what could be shown during certain hours.