Back in the ‘70s, you had stuff that could break a tooth or make you choke, all in the form of candy. It was just part of growing up. But looking back, a lot of those treats were a mess waiting to happen. Here's a look at the wildest, weirdest, and most questionable candies we somehow all lived through.

Astro Pop

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This one copied the look of actual lawn darts. It came in pointy, sharp-edged shapes of hard sugar and was easy to spot in bright packaging. Bite into it the wrong way, and you'd know immediately it was a bad idea because of the rough edges.

Atomic Fireballs

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The first and even second Atomic Fireball seemed harmless until your eyes watered. These were loaded with cinnamon flavor strong enough to sting your throat. if you weren’t ready. Half the challenge was just keeping it in your mouth, which most people just failed at.

Pop Rocks and Soda

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Pop Rocks already made enough noise in your mouth, but adding soda made it feel like something was about to go wrong. There were rumors they could explode your stomach, which turned out to be nonsense, but the combo was still chaotic. The candy clung to molars like static.

Jawbreakers

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Everyone had a story about dropping one, then wiping it off and putting it back in their mouth. They were massive—some too big to fit comfortably. You’d keep one for days, unwrapping and rewrapping it until it was gone or broke in half.

Clacker Candy

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Whoever made these must’ve missed the part where the original toy was already banned. The candy version was just as risky—two rock-hard balls on a string, meant to knock against each other. Kids would swing them around, click them together, and occasionally get smacked in the face or worse.

Wax Lips

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These showed up constantly at birthday parties, and every kid wore them at least once. They were giant, glossy, and technically edible. Kids loved chewing on them out of boredom. After a few minutes, your jaw hurt, and you had a rubbery film across your back teeth.

Sour Candy That Burned

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A few brands pushed the sour thing too far. The acid in these would leave your mouth sore, especially if you tried to eat more than one. It left your tongue looking like sandpaper and some versions of the candy disappeared after schools and parents started complaining.

Gold Mine Gum

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Gold Mine Gum came in little cloth sacks and looked like shiny gold nuggets, and that was what attracted many kids. The gum itself was hard and took forever to soften. If you threw a handful in your mouth without thinking, you risked choking on the smaller bits.

Pixy Stix

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It was just loose sugar in a paper straw, which felt like a genius idea at the time. You’d rip the top off with your teeth and pour it in all at once. But that could leave a trail of dust on your clothes and desk and could leave you gasping mid-laugh.

Candy Necklaces

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If someone yanked a candy necklace off during recess, it snapped right back and left a mark. You’d forget you were wearing it until pieces started falling off, half-chewed and stuck to your shirt. It was more of an accessory than a snack, but for some reason, that didn’t stop anyone.

Red Dye No. 2

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Anything bright red back then probably had this dye in it. It made your tongue look wild and stained your hands for the rest of the day. In the 70s, nobody really knew or cared what it was made of. Years later, it got banned because of possible health risks, and candy started looking less radioactive.

Chocolate Coins with Foil

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They looked harmless, since they were just simple chocolates wrapped in shiny gold foil. Like any other chocolate, everyone wanted a piece of these. But a lot of kids ended up eating the wrapper or swallowing bits by accident, raising concerns with adults.

Zotz

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Zotz started off like any other hard candy—until you bit into one. That’s when the fizzy middle burst out, and the throat drowned because of a sour rush. No one expected that to happen, so most people ended up coughing or spitting it out the first time.