72 Ads From The Past That Would Be Banned Today

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“Her kind of pressures last all day… shouldn’t her tranquilizer?” – Meprospan

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Here’s another ad that perhaps was intended to be helpful but instead came across as patronizing. This 1957 advertisement of Meprospan, a drug that inhibits anxiety, could have chosen a more appropriate situation because even though the objective was to help alleviate stress, a sedated mother might not be in the best condition to give her toddler a bath.

While it’s used to treat anxiety disorders, Meprospan can also cause diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, nausea, numbness, vomiting, and weakness. Overdose can lead to unresponsiveness, coma, breathing impairment, or shock. There have even been reports of death with ingestion of as little as 12 grams.

What the housewives needed back then was a helping hand and some quality me-time—not a tranquilizer.