If sugar were outlawed in the 1950s, certainly big pharma would have stepped in and developed alternatives to be used in things such as soda, candy, and other high sucrose-based food. Would those lab-made alternatives be healthier than sugar? That is debatable to be honest, as the same discussions go on in present day society over stevia, aspartame, and xylitol. There would certainly still be soda, candy, sweets, and sweet flavorings for food, it would just not be sugar cane based.