Lawn Darts

Lawn darts, also known as Jarts or yard darts, were a popular outdoor game in the 1980s and 1990s. The game consisted of throwing large darts with weighted tips at a circular target on the ground. However, the darts were found to be dangerous and were banned in the United States and Canada in 1988 and 1989 respectively, due to a number of reported injuries and deaths. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that there were six deaths and numerous injuries caused by lawn darts in the US alone. In the wake of the ban, many companies stopped producing and selling lawn darts, and they are now considered a collector's item.

• The roots of lawn darts come from ancient Greek and Roman war weapon called plumbata.

• Despite being a literal weapon of war, toy manufacturers believed that they would make an excellent family lawn game and began production of them in the 1950s.

• Lawn dart injuries happened often over the next few decades.

• The Consumer Product Safety Commission first banned them in 1970, but manufacturers challenged the ban and a compromise was reached wherein lawn darts could no longer be marketed or sold as toys or in toy stores.

• The father of a 7-year-old girl who died in a lawn dart accident, David Snow, made it his mission to get the game banned.

• The commission voted to ban lawn darts sales completely in 1988.

• Subcultures still exist who revel in their forbidden lawn game. ¹⁾