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How Vitamins Became Candy in the 1980s

September 2, 2026 · 44 min

Show notes

A lot of us grew up in the 1980s with Flinstone vitamins. Or you may have had one of the many other kids' chewable vitamins endorsed by cartoon characters and other famous figures.

This was a time when kids' health products, vitamin supplements, and some medicines had become indistinguishable from candy -- and that had created a lot of issues...

Children overconsuming these great-tasting products had been an issue for decades, but in the 1980s, it grew out of control as candy-flavored health products exploded onto the market. Products like children's candy-flavored vitamins were being heavily promoted--with no restrictions--and kids were consuming them more than ever...

This was also having a spillover effect into the world of breakfast cereals, as the line between health and candy had really started to blur...

All episodes of Everything 80s

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