These products were banned over the last decade because they were either considered to dangerous or unnecessary.
1. Trans Fats
Most food companies add Trans fat to their products because they stay fresh for a longer period of time. However, the body finds it difficult to break it down and starts suffering from heart disease or high cholesterol problems. Denmark and Switzerland banned certain products that were laced with over two percent of Trans fat.
2. Baby Walkers
Canada banned baby walkers in 2004 because according to statistics, over 1,900 babies were injured while using it. The Ministry determined that this happened because infants do not have the required abilities to use the product safely. Parents in Canada need not worry because studies reveal that baby walkers do not help babies walk faster.
3. Incandescent Light Bulbs
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs last much longer than Incandescent Bulbs and use only 25% of the available energy which is why the latter has been phased out by countries like Australia and Cuba. California plans to ban them within the next 8 years.
4. Chewing Gum
Singapore banned chewing hum in 1992 and the bill was revised about 6 years back. People are not allowed to stick their gum under chairs, on the floor or under tables. When somebody stuck it on the doors of the metro, it became necessary to ban it. Those who travel to Singapore are not allowed to carry gum and the Government constantly tells the public about how gum is hazardous to health.
5. Use of Cigarettes on Television and Movies
India banned smoking in movies and on television in 2005 as it was felt that children tend to take up the habit after seeing their favorite actors indulging in it. According to the ban, the actor’s hand is supposed to get blurred out if the scene demands that he should smoke.
6. Plastic Bags
People use about a trillion plastic bags through the year and we all know how harmful plastic is for the environment. Bangladesh banned the use of plastic bags in 2002 after the found that the floods of 1988 and 1998 occurred because the drains got blocked with such bags. The ban was introduced in Africa, United Kingdom and Australia soon after.
7. Extremely Skinny Models
Even though this is not a product; it definitely deserves a mention in this list. Hiring extremely skinny models for advertisements was banned after the model, Luisel Ramos died in 2006. She had a cardiac arrest after which doctors realized that she had been surviving on diet coke and leaves for over 90 days. The Italian Government then declared that the body mass index of all models should not go below 18.
8. Circus Animals
After it was revealed that circus animals were living in miserable conditions and were made to starve just so that they would perform better on the final day; the Bolivian Senate banned the circus in 2009. Denmark, Austria, Finland and Costa Rica introduced similar bans many years back.
9. Cigarettes
Ireland prohibited smoking indoors in 2004 while Bhutan banned the sale of cigarettes in 2008. Those who go against the ban in Bhutan have to pay a fine of about 232 dollars. However, the sad part is that tobacco products are still being traded illegally in this mountainous kingdom.
10. Products used for Spanking Children
Sweden declared in 1979 that parents could not spank their children using certain products or otherwise, after which over 24 countries followed suit. Studies show that after the ban was introduced, child abuse rates were reduced considerably.
