35. Regulating and Getting Rid of X-Ray Shoe Fitters
There were no safety or health regulations in place when X-Ray Shoe Fitters were first invented, and for decades, few paid attention to their dangers. For example, an estimated 10,000 devices were sold in America, about 3000 in Britain, 1500 in Switzerland, and 1000 in Canada before the authorities stepped in and began discouraging their use.
As awareness grew of the long-term adverse health effects of radiation, the notion that the widespread use of X-ray machines in shoe stores might be a bad idea gained popularity. Accordingly, voices were raised to regulate the devices, and eventually, prohibit their use. In 1958, Britain mandated warning signs on the devices, and the following year, Switzerland prohibited their use. By 1970, the devices had been banned in 33 American states, and by the end of the decade, the last recorded sighting of an X-ray shoe Fitter occurred in Boston.
