While others explained that life was perilous for a kid, whether it was the school playground equipment or questionable car seats. How would a child of today react if their third grade teacher lit up a heater in the middle of math class?ĭan Wuori, senior director of early learning at the Hunt Institute, tweeted that his high school had a smoking area “for the kids.” He then asked his followers to share “something you experienced as a kid that would blow your children’s minds.”Ī lot of folks responded with stories of how ubiquitous smoking was when they were in school. This sea change in public opinion about smoking means there are fewer places where smoking is deemed acceptable.īut in the early '80s, you could smoke on a bus, on a plane, in a movie theater, in restaurants, in the classroom and even in hospitals. In 1965, 42.4% of Americans smoked and now, it’s just 12.5%. Another big difference between now and life in the '70s and '80s has been public attitudes toward smoking cigarettes.