The Plastic Straw Ban's Impact on People with Disabilities

In an effort to reduce pollution, plastic straws are being banned at restaurants in some cities in the United States, Canada, and Europe. This poses a problem for people with certain disabilities, who are unable to pick up a cup and use plastic straws because other straws break apart or melt in hot liquids. Last Sunday night, Emma Cohen and Miles Pepper, co-founders of FinalStraw, promoted their product, the first collapsible metal straw, on the Season 10 premiere of Shark Tank. FinalStraw appears to be a good alternative to plastic straws. However, metal, which isn't bendable, can get too hot or too cold and can be painful to use for people with certain medical conditions. For more details on the plastic straw ban debate, go to https://www.eater.com/2018/7/19/17586742/plastic-straw-ban-disabilities. I believe restaurants should offer both plastic and environmentally friendly straws. What do you think about the plastic straw ban?

Plastic straws

(image via Wikimedia)