I prefer wired ones, mostly playing devil’s advocate here.

Every pair of cheaper earphones or earbuds I’ve had fail have failed due to the cable.

We switched my oldest to a pair of BT headphones because he seems incapable of keeping track of the cord. It gets caught, he pulls, and something has to give. Longest lasting set he had in 2025 was BT.

I grew up in a fairly industrial area with lots of trades people around me. From my anecdata, I'd suspect you're right. We know more about some cancers and the causes and they are easier to prevent.

The choices, personal or otherwise, I have seen can't be good for your body, and some you're simply not allowed to make anymore.

Ironically, sitting on this laptop typing this might be as bad, but win some/lose some.

But some obvious examples?

Ever dip a shirt in benzene because it cools you down? Apparently it feels like Vicks, but doesn't leave that sticky feeling behind.

A good portion drank 6+ beers a day. I know they must have eaten, but some I never saw consume food. At all.

Some smoked a pack or two of cigarettes a day. Asbestos was in everything.

There was no ventilation/filtration for welders, painters, woodworkers, etc. If you could open the shop door it was a good day.

What colour is the stripe on the spring? I can't look this up, not even by VIN.

Wore off eight years ago. Can we guess?

I always remember the small, weird pieces being hard to get apart.

What I don't remember was every kit being made up of so many small, weird pieces.