9 Normal Things From the 1950s That Are Banned in Ohio Today

Many things that were perfectly normal in the 1950s would get you in trouble now.

Ohioans who remember those days may be surprised by how late a few of the changes came.

Here’s what changed, and when.

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Some of these bans come from federal law, which applies in Ohio, and laws are subject to change.

1. Common-Law Marriage

Until October 10, 1991, Ohio recognized common-law marriage.

In 1944, the Ohio Supreme Court held in Markley v. Hudson that a mutual agreement to marry, followed by living together as spouses and being known as spouses in the community, makes a common-law marriage.

Ohio Revised Code 3105.12 now prohibits common-law marriages in the state on and after that date.

A common-law marriage that began in Ohio before then and never ended through death, divorce, dissolution or annulment remains valid.

A common-law marriage formed in another state that recognizes them can also stay valid in Ohio, if it meets the statute’s conditions.

To marry in Ohio today, you need someone described in section 3101.08 of the Revised Code to solemnize the marriage.

Living together doesn’t count.

2. Smoking in Public Places

Smoking was common in the 1950s.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that in 1955, 54% of men and 24% of women were cigarette smokers.

In 1973, Arizona became the first state to restrict smoking in several public places.

Ohio followed in 2006.

Ohio Revised Code 3794.02 bars a proprietor from permitting smoking in a public place or place of employment, except as section 3794.03 allows.

It also reaches areas directly or indirectly under the proprietor’s control that sit immediately adjacent to an entrance or exit.

Under 3794.02(D), you can’t refuse to stop smoking in a public place when the proprietor or any employee asks you to.

3. Skipping the Seat Belt

Did a 1950s car even have seat belts?

According to The Henry Ford, seat belts were available on some cars by the mid-1950s, but most customers were indifferent to their safety benefits.

All new passenger cars had some form of seat belts, beginning with lap belts in 1964.

Ohio Revised Code 4513.263 bars you from driving unless you wear all the available elements of a properly adjusted occupant restraining device.

The law defines a seat safety belt, shoulder belt or harness as an occupant restraining device.

The same rule applies to front-seat passengers.

4. Corporal Punishment in Public Schools

The U.S. Supreme Court said in 1977 that corporal punishment in schools dates back to the colonial period.

In that ruling, Ingraham v. Wright, the court said the practice still played a role in public education in most parts of the country.

Only Massachusetts and New Jersey had banned all corporal punishment in their public schools by then.

Ohio wasn’t on that list.

Ohio Revised Code 3319.41 bars you from inflicting corporal punishment on a pupil if you’re a teacher, principal, administrator, nonlicensed school employee or bus driver in a public school.

If your child attends a nonpublic school, teachers, principals and administrators there can still use reasonable corporal punishment when it’s reasonably necessary to preserve discipline, unless the school’s governing authority says otherwise.

The current text of that law has been in effect since October 16, 2009.

5. Riding Without a Child Seat

For much of the 20th century, kids rode in cars unrestrained or in seats designed more for parents’ convenience than children’s safety.

Federal traffic safety officials say every state passed a law requiring child restraints for young passengers between 1978 and 1985.

Ohio Revised Code 4511.81 requires you to put a child under four years old, or under 40 pounds, in a child restraint system.

A child under eight who’s also under four feet nine inches tall needs a booster seat.

Children who are at least eight but not older than fifteen have to ride in a child restraint system or an occupant restraining device.

If you’re the driver, you have to make sure each child is properly secured.

6. Lead House Paint

Could lead-based house paint be on your walls?

If your home was built before 1978, the Environmental Protection Agency says it’s more likely to have lead-based paint.

House paint with high lead levels was still on the market in the 1950s, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

In 1978, the federal government banned the sale of lead-based paint for use in homes and childcare facilities.

That ban covers Ohio too.

Dust and paint chips from lead-based paint are one of the most common sources of lead exposure in homes.

7. Cigarette Commercials on TV

In the 1950s and 1960s, the tobacco industry was predominant in television advertising, according to a National Cancer Institute monograph.

Federal law makes it unlawful to advertise cigarettes on any medium of electronic communication under Federal Communications Commission jurisdiction after January 1, 1971.

Ohio stations can’t opt out.

8. Leaded Gasoline

Leaded gasoline was in extensive use in the U.S. starting in 1923, with a brief break in 1925, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the industry average hovered around 2.4 grams of lead per gallon of gasoline.

Since January 1, 1996, the Clean Air Act has banned the sale of leaded gasoline for use in on-road vehicles.

Ohio gas stations can’t sell leaded gasoline for your car.

When the ban took effect, leaded fuel could still be sold for off-road uses such as aircraft, racing cars, farm equipment and marine engines.

9. DDT Spray Trucks

Stock images from the 1950s show children playing in the chemical fog from municipal spray trucks.

The same images show women drenching their kitchens with the pesticide DDT.

Then came 1972.

That year, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a cancellation order for DDT because of its effects on wildlife and its potential human health risks.

Most of DDT's use was banned in 1972 because of damage to wildlife.