Mercury and wine at age 7: what childhood in 1980s Spain was like

Mercury, wine and roller-skate boards: the childhood that wouldn't survive the 21st century

Breaking a mercury thermometer and watching the silver beads scatter across the floor was, for many children of the 80s and 90s, a game. Some gathered the drops to make a bigger one, others even sucked on them, according to memories that surfaced in a recent conversation. It wasn't the only tolerated risk: at age 7, children drank Savin wine at mealtimes, made slingshots from clothespins, and raced downhill on boards with roller-skate wheels. All without a helmet, without supervision and, apparently, without immediate consequences.

Mercury as a toy: a real hazard

Mercury from thermometers is neurotoxic, especially when inhaled. At the time, however, acute poisoning was rare because elemental mercury is not easily absorbed through the digestive tract, although skin contact and inhaling vapors did pose a danger. Those who remember it describe picking it up off the asphalt or out of mineral jars without any precautions. The anecdote of an adult who said it came out of the water vats illustrates the lack of awareness about chemical risk.

Wine at age 7: the culture of 'strength wine'

Giving wine to children was not unusual. The expression "wine makes you strong" reflected a popular belief that alcohol built strength, especially in rural and working-class settings. Savin, a low-quality wine, was a regular on the tables. Over time, that practice has been eradicated, and today it would cause public alarm. The irony that "the fusspots" eventually imposed juices like Don Simon marks the generational contrast.

The generation that played with mercury and drank wine before age 10 survived, but not without consequences for some. The surprising fact is that, despite the documented risks, the rate of serious incidents in that childhood was low, which fueled the false perception that it was safe. Today, with the accumulated scientific evidence, those games would be unthinkable. And yet, those who lived through them remember that freedom with nostalgia, not antiestéticar.