Sad reason McDonald’s was forced to make the McSpoon extinct

There are some things that will simply always be synonymous with everyone's favourite fast-food chain, McDonald’s.

Whether it's some good old-fashioned chicken nuggets, nostalgic Happy Meals, an ever-rotating list of seasonal specials, or simply the excitement those famous golden arches instil in Big Mac lovers, it's clear that Maccies has spent decades cultivating a brand image it's barely swayed from.

However, the restaurant chain didn't always get it right, and the notorious, but now unfortunately extinct, McSpoon is evidence of just that.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, McDonald's would offer customers a tiny plastic spoon to stir their coffee with.

The handy little single-use utensil was about five inches long and featured a small, flattened scoop at the end, offering just enough to stir a serving of sugar or milk into a piping hot cup of joe.

But it didn't take long before the skinny spoon found itself serving a whole other purpose outside of McDonald's dining halls.

The 'McSpoon' is somewhat of a historical McDonald's relic (Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty Images)

As we know, cocaine use was rampant in the late 70s and early 80s in the United States, with users keen on finding creative ways to take the drug easily, cleanly and in consistent bumps.

Well, the McDonald's spoon offered just that, and it soon became so widely associated with the Class A drug that it got coined the 'McBump'.

Of course, the fast-food chain never created or distributed the spoon with any intent other than helping their patrons stir their morning brew, but, according to law enforcement and those promoting the 'War on Drugs', it had become too closely linked to illegal activities as drug-taking paraphernalia and therefore needed to be scrapped.

And that was the end of that!

After catching light of the historical news, McDonald's fans rushed to social media to share their reactions and, let's just say, they were far from shy when it came to cracking punny jokes about the decades-old ordeal.

People have been flogging them on eBay (eBay)

People couldn't help but crack jokes (eBay)

"A McBump?" quipped one Instagram user while a second reacted: "McBump is crazy."

A third chimed in: "One large COKE please."

"Ba da ba ba BUMP… I'm Lovin It!" a fourth joked, referencing McDonald's iconic slogan and jingle, while another lamented: "Darn, they're so cute. Humans are annoying sometimes."

And a final Instagram user echoed: "This is why we can’t have nice things!"

Well, I guess you really do learn something new every day!