We use plastic straws for something we all do every single day of our lives: drink.
These straws are as an easier way to drink, especially for people who can’t physically lift up a cup. I know every single one of us is thinking that these straws are going to be around forever, right? Well, sadly, we’re all thinking the wrong thing.
How would you all feel if I looked you in the eyes and told you cities are banning plastic straws? Now, your thought process and feelings may change to, “What the hell? Why?” Those are my thoughts, too: “Why? Why must they ban plastic straws?”
Does the government really think that a plastic straw ban is going to save the environment?
This ban definitely makes me mad. Why? Because there’s one population that’s going to suffer especially hard: people with disabilities There are a lot of people out there who have such limited mobility that they can’t independently lift a cup to drink. The only easy way for them to drink on their own is, well, hello, using a plastic straw! If this ban takes effect in all 50 states (knock on wood that it doesn’t), many disabled children and adults suffer. Do you really want that to happen? I sure don’t. These straws are convenient because they are bendable. If cities ban them, children and adults who have limited mobility (and their families) are screwed because there won’t be an easy way for them to drink. We shouldn’t take away anyone’s freedom to drink.
My heart breaks for all of these families; it really does.
What’s their alternative going to be if legislators take these straws away? Metal straws, so the child can struggle, and god forbid, break their teeth? I really wish that the government would have thought twice about how banning plastic straws would affect the disability community before they enacted this legislation. But nope, they banned plastic straws anyways. If you ask me, that’s a damn shame.
Something tells me that this ban is going to eventually become a domino effect, but let’s hope that I’m totally wrong. Many signs do say “If you would prefer a straw, ask your server.” The servers walked around with a metal container full of straws asking people if they wanted one. The straws aren’t banned from Pennsylvania yet, but who knows? In a matter of months, they may be. Thanks to the signs I’ve seen in restaurants when I travel, it looks like many states are well on their way to banning plastic straws.
The government’s straw ban plan sucks… literally.
I wish the government would’ve thought twice about how much the disabled community is going to suffer because of their lack of common sense. But, they really don’t care and have a heart for the disabled. If they did, they would stop the ban right here. I hope the government doesn’t make all of the rest of the states suffer. If they did, it would be a tough, painful loss of independence for many people in the disabled community. If legislators are thinking about banning straws from other states, I hope they think twice.
All we can do right now is have faith that this ban will not take effect in all 50 states. While we are waiting to see if that happens, I encourage you to stock up on as many plastic straws as you can, while you still can. This ban is scary, and we don’t know if it will spread.
No matter what, states should not pass a plastic straw ban.
Featured Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash.
Wow. This is a very POORLY backed position on this argument. The concept of Single Use Plastics is one of the most narrow minded and selfish inventions. When you use a single use plastic item you are effectively saying, “the three minutes of comfort this provides me with is more important to me than the impact it will have for the remainder of its fifty+ years of its existence, including the havoc it’ll wreck on the natural world.
Im sorry but you have forgotten about the most important thing about life on this planet: adaptation. Single use thin cheap plastic straws ARE a major PROBLEM. And a very simple adaptation is around to replace them, while still functioning for people with disabilities: they’re called metal/paper/or thick washable plastic straws, you twat. You can buy them online for less than three packets of single use straws. Did you really not think of this before you wrote this poorly researched article? its called INNOVATION.
Shame on you for pushing against efforts to help wildlife under the guise of helping people who are disabled. My mother is disabled and cant lift a drink. She bought metal straws….end of story.
The author of the article is a shill for the plastic straw industry I’m sure. Adding to all the arguments. Drinking from a straw is a privilege, not a right and we’ve done without straws for hundreds of thousands of years as humans. Someone will come up with a better way, but plastic isn’t the answer. To Juliana who wrote this article: If you’re disabled, buy a reusable straw that fits your needs. Tell me why you can’t do that?
lauren and you im sorry but you are all thinking poorly no opition is better if you get ride of plastic straws theres more than just disabiled people theres our lives and energy if you keep plastic starws ur saying you want turtles to die and our world to be polluted all this plastic will go in water and kill the cereatures soo reallywith out them water is just a warm and cold liquid all that plastic would be pushed my tide and end up on land there for the world would be filled with plastic and we would suffer breathing and theres more then just disabled people they would all die too we would all die buttttttttttttt if you ban straws and use metal or paper paper is taking our air away and we would die quick beaceuse think of all the trees we aleady use for notebooks and ect and the amount of straws we already use that will lead to death ur just taking way more energy and food and our lives and metal straws are a noo whos dumb enough to think metal starwas are going to slove our probles with me germs the taste the rust and ya that also leads to broken teeth so yeah both are right but theres not right or wrong answer
you are right also again with the disable paper gets all gross and mushy for some thats a HUGE problem some have a problem chewing and it just happends so they could choke also some people have allergies to paper scillone or even sometime metal. people with the chewing problem could chop on glass and we all know whats going to happen then. case closed also i’m a 12 year old and i know more about this than any adult.
Anyway. The word is anyway. Anyways is not a word and makes you sound like a Trump voter.
Plastic straws are one of the majo0r reasons for environmental pollution, they greatly harm the marine life as well. If they are banned then it will be very beneficial for the environment.
Is this article for real?!