You Can't Do That Here!
Trans Fat
New York City, Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Md., the State of California, and the entire countries of Denmark and Switzerland have banned trans fat in the past decade. Because the human body cannot break them down, trans fats can lead to high cholesterol and heart disease. More On Listverse (Credit: CBS)Foie Gras
In April 2006, the City of Chicago enacted a ban on foie gras, after complaints from animal rights activists that ducks and geese are brutally force fed grain to increase their livers to ten times their normal size for foie gras production.Two years later, the ban was repealed. Mayor Richard M. Daley called it "the silliest law the City Council has ever passed."
But several other cities worldwide have foie gras bans in place, as do several European countries, and the nations of Turkey, Israel and Argentina. The state of California also passed a foie gras ban in 2004, which will go into effect in 2012. (Credit: AP)
Pit Bulls
Denver, Kansas City and Miami are are among the cities that have enacted a ban on the ownership of pit bulls, on the grounds that they are dangerous. (Credit: CBS)Ferrets
If you live in New York City or anywhere in the state of California or Hawaii, it is illegal to keep a ferret as a pet. The California ban has been on the books for 80 years, and forced Paris Hilton to give up her two pet ferrets.Plastic Bags
Bangladesh banned plastic bags outright in 2002, after they found out the bags were blocking drains and leading to floods. Thin plastic bags are also banned in South Africa, and Australia and the United Kingdom are also weighing bans. Plastic shopping bags are banned in San Francisco and Oakland, Calif., and a ban is under consideration in Evanston. More On ListverseCircus Animals
Circuses are banned from using animals in Bolivia, following an animal rights group investigation that showed evidence of mistreatment. Certain species of wild animals are also banned from use in circuses in Austria, Costa Rica, Denmark and Finland. More On ListverseIncandescent Light Bulbs
Incandescent light bulbs may soon be a thing of the past. Because of the environmental benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs, many countries and one U.S. state have moved to ban them.Cuba banned the sale and import of incandescent bulbs in 2005. Australia passed a law in 2007 that will ban them by 2010. The European Union plans to phase incandescent bulbs out by 2012, and California by 2018. More On Listverse
Chewing Gum
Singapore banned the import and sale of all chewing gum in 1992, after complaints that it was too often disposed of incorrectly. In 2004, the ban was revised so that gum could be sold medicinally by dentists or pharmacists. Otherwise, chewing gum remains illegal in Singapore. More on Listverse.com.Bottled Water
The rural Australian town of Bundanoon is reportedly the first in the world to ban the sale of all bottled water.Some other towns and cities worldwide enacted laws forbidding their municipal governments from spending money on bottled water. But another outright ban on bottled in Concord, Mass., was recently overturned by voters. (Credit: AP)
Porn
Pornography file photo. (CBS)Kissing
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, city officials prosecuted a couple after they were caught holding hands and kissing in public. They have warned tourists that they might be reprimanded for kissing too passionately. (Credit: AP)Baggy Pants
In Mansfield, Louisiana, you can get a fine of $150 and go to jail for 15 days if you're caught sagging your pants.Several other municipalities also have bans in place on sagging pants, including south suburban Lynwood; Hahira, Ga.; and Paterson, N.J., and officials in Atlanta have also discussed a ban. (Credit: AP)