In 2019, California’s AB 1884 restricted the use of single-use plastic straws in restaurants, essentially forcing customers to use paper straws, or request an alternative. But the state politicians did not research how it might affect you. You are not important to them, but the planet is.
California politicians, with a democratic super-majority, only think about protecting the environment. At one time during the state assembly debate, now former lawmaker Ian Calderon wanted to make it a crime for a restaurant to even offer a plastic straw, saying “I was only thinking of protecting the environment.”
Well… University of Antwerp researchers published a significant 2023 study on food additives and contaminants, and found that 90% of paper straw brands tested contained PFAS chemicals, which are linked to increased risk of cancer. Another state is taking this into account, Florida state officials have moved to ban paper straws at restaurants, citing ‘concerning health risks’. The bill states that any regulation of drinking straws must be based on “government policy driven by science.”
