Silent era filmmakers were masters of getting their point across while evading the watchful eye of censors.

For example, if a woman complained of aching feet or used foot powder (Makes WALKING Easy), that was a signal that she walked a lot. On the street. You get it?

Swearing was often handled by imaginative title cards but there was also the option of lipreading. Silent era audiences were adept at noticing these things.

That's why the original 1927 version of the code specified a ban on "Pointed profanity—by either title or lip"

Drugs? Well, it was complicated.

One thing to remember, though, is that whether the topic was prostitution, drug addiction or something else, there WERE exploitative silent films but there were also sympathetic and nuanced examinations of the topic.

It's also worth remembering that while evading the censors was something of a game for mainstream filmmakers, it could break an independent black filmmaker. Oscar Micheaux's battles with censor boards are legendary.

Serious films with black casts were limited to black theaters and the regional censor boards could cut off an entire market with the flourish of a pen.

Worse, these films only had maybe 3 or 4 copies, total, and the censors would take scissors directly to them.

Censor boards moved the goalposts constantly when approving major studio films made by white filmmakers, so you can imagine how arbitrary and ridiculous their demands were when dealing with independent productions dealing head-on with race directed by a black man.

I should clarify our timeline:

Before 1922, USA film censorship was handled by city & state boards that worked independently of one another. Chicago was strict and some cities would just go with what Chicago decided.

(Chicago once found a molded jello to be lascivious.)

Everyone was fed up and exhausted because what was acceptable one week was banned the next and what was okay in New York wouldn't fly in Ohio.

Will Hays was invited to Hollywood in 1922 as damage control following some scandals and he led the charge for national censorship.

His initial list of Don'ts and Be Carefuls was released in 1927 and in addition to shutting down sex, violence and cuss words, it was also extremely racist and specifically forbade "miscegenation" on the screen.

The rules had no teeth and were not strictly enforced until 1934.