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90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
(scienceswitch.com)
this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2023
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We switched to stainless steel straws at home years ago and they're great, no complaints. I've always hated paper straws, they get soggy and gross. Guess this is another reason to stop using them.
But I understand that using stainless in the food service industry wouldn't work. I would be checking inside the straws all the time cause you have to wash those things properly. Maybe they should just use pasta.
There's also a bit of a safety factor with those. You can get bumped and a plastic straw won't break a tooth or stab through you as easily as a steel straw will if you were to fall. There was a case of a woman who had died form a steel straw going into her when she fell. Sure it wouldn't be a common thing, but those freak accidents stick in my mind.
I have some silicone straws instead, flexible, easy to wash, and also easy to carry in my silverware bag on the go if I need one while at work or such.
Article: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/woman-dies-after-accidentally-being-impaled-by-metal-straw_n_5d2778dde4b02a5a5d57c428
We drive in steel boxes going at 70 mph every day and (mostly) no one complains... It always confuses me when people are worried about freak accidents happening. It's much more likely a bridge collapses under you, you fall down the stairs, or something like that than dying because you used a metal straw.
I think risk assessment is important for all areas of our lives.
I'm required to drive to maintain my job and be able to shop. Bit different from a nice to have like a straw but since the comparison was made let's consider some things with that.
When driving my steel box at 70mph I'm wearing a seat belt, I know that my tires are in good shape, my vehicle has routine maintenance, and I drive defensively with caution. Minimizing risk as able.
A titanium or steel straw that can impale me if I trip while around the house or sipping a drink in a car for example or just get bumped and chip a tooth when there's better alternatives like the silicone straws doesn't make sense to me to use steel or titanium straws when assessing risk between the two.
I agree with everything you said, but also that it take a very freak accident to kill someone while they're drinking from a metal straw. Do whatever you prefer, but I think if the feel/taste/whatever of a metal straw has someone choose that instead, they shouldn't worry about the tiny chance it has to kill them. Probably what chair you choose to sit in has more risk involved than the straw you drink from.