Unless these "forever chemicals" (poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, per the article), can get stuck up a turtle's nose, nobody cares. Plastic straws aren't banned because they are bad for the environment, they're banned because one got stuck up a turtle's nose.
I was recently at a gift shop in a zoo. There were a ton of pro-environment signs and posters throughout. I selected a few items to purchase for my daughter then went to the cashier to pay. There they prominently displayed a large sign stating “saving the planet one bag at a time”. Nearly every item in the store they sold was plastic, wrapped in more plastic packaging.<p>Are we really so naive?
I’m curious why straws are demanded at the frequency they are given their single use nature<p>In most cases it does not seem to be related to a known disability that would require a straw<p>Are frequent straw users using them primarily for a prophylactic capacity? Is the amount primarily because of use in disposable cups/lids?<p>I just never find myself in need of a straw and it seems to be in almost all cases purely preference - in which case ending their use altogether, has no negative externalities that cannot be remedied easily.
"The researchers said the PFAS concentrations were low and, bearing in mind that most people tend to only use straws occasionally, posed a limited risk to human health."<p>So how low? Articles like this just seem to raise more questions than they answer.