Every generation has some product/ingredient that they didn’t know was dangerous at the time: tobacco, lead, asbestos, etc. What is that item for this generation?
PFAS, which are needed to produce teflon and other nonstick materials. It currently begins to attack attention, but wasn't really an issue a few years ago. It doesn't decay naturally so it will be forever in the environment. The EU is even planning to ban all PFAS.
People swear by All-Clad (because their stuff is really good), but if you want to save a considerable amount of money, you can get similar quality tri-ply clad stuff from Tramontina.
Some PFAS have already been banned indeed. Unfortunately, it's loke fighting the Hydra - everytime some PFAS gets banned the industry comes up with at least three new ones...
Even if you convinced me that PFAS are 100% safe and benign and absolutely never make it from the pan into our food....I'd still support banning them because of how nuclear they are to everybody involved with or living near, wherever they're manufactured. Seems like a lot of unnecessary risk just for a slightly more convenient non-stick layer.