People are not allowed to import chewing gum into Singapore. The country only allows certain chewing gums for medical reasons, and importing banned chewing gums carries a heavy fine and jail time.
In 2005, Rome implemented a two part law that prohibits people from keeping goldfish in glass bowls and from giving away goldfish and other animals as prizes. Scientists have stated that keeping a goldfish in a glass bowl limits their oxygen and can make them go blind.
Rome also instituted a law that mandates dog owners to walk their dogs in the same year. You can be fined $700 for not walking your dogs, and you’re also not allowed to leave dogs in hot cars as part of the law.
Laws in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan effectively banned lacy lingerie and stated that any material touching your skin must contain at least 6% cotton. The 2013 restriction was apparently put into place because of health concerns.
Since 2009, Greece has outlawed the wearing of heels at historic sites like the Acropolis. Heeled shoes are said to negatively affect architectural sites because of the amount of pressure they apply.
France installed a law limiting the intake of sauces–mayonnaise, ketchup, and vinaigrette. The media ran away with the law and insinuated that France was putting a ban on ketchup, but in reality, they were just looking to limit fat intake and to make sure French cooking schools were using sauces within the integrity of the dish.
Strip clubs have been banned in Iceland since 2010. The country outlawed establishments from making money off employee nudity making it the first country to ban strip clubs for non-religious reasons.
Iran implemented a strict rule banning “ponytails, mullets, and long, gelled hair for men” in 2010.
Australia has strict laws in place that forbid copyright infringement on images and the sharing of those images. This means that the country technically has a ban on creating and sharing memes.
Baby walkers, seen in the picture above, have been banned in Canada since 2004 because the country deems the product as unsafe. You can face a fine of $100,000 (CAD) for selling or using the walker.
In Victoria, Australia loud noises, like vacuums and lawnmowers, are banned after a certain hour of the night.
Germany’s Autobahn is known for having no speed limit on half of the highway, essentially allowing commuters to travel to and from at high rates and cut down on time spent on the road. This is why it is illegal to walk on the highway or run out of gas on the Autobahn.
Certain baby names are banned in Denmark, Iceland, and Portugal. In Portugal, the law is put in place to ban “names that raise questions about the sex of the registrant.” In Denmark, it is there to protect children from names that would affect them psychologically. Iceland essentially has the same rule as Denmark and also mandates that babies have at least, and not more than three, forenames.
Since 2013, Canadians aren’t allowed to use more than 25 pennies in a single transaction. The law was put in place to help lessen the burden on the Canadian economy and government.
You cannot spank children at school, or at home, in Sweden and they also banned ads for children. You can’t run an ad directly before or after a children’s show comes on.
A 2014 law passed in Russia mandates that blogs must register as a media outlet and disclose personal data who have 3,000 visitors a day.
In Indonesia, you can carry a maximum jail sentence of 32 months for masturbating. It is also illegal in Saudi Arabia where a teacher was given a three-year prison sentence for saying that masturbation is allowed.
