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>You are forced to drink fast, or you end up having a flimsy straw that can't suck At which point you just stop using the straw and drink normally. The straw

>You are forced to drink fast, or you end up having a flimsy straw that can't suck At which point you just stop using the straw and drink normally. The straw controversy was bizarre to me. I can't remember when I last used a straw and it's not often that I see them, aside from chain restaurants selling overpriced novelty drinks (e.g. starbucks).

1123581321 5y ago
The exact figure is elusive. But hundreds of millions are used per day in the US. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40534/do-americans-use-500-million-straws-per-day https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40534/do-americ... Juice boxes, coffee stirring straws, and soda cups from fast food and convenience stores make up many of them.
- Wowfunhappy 5y ago
  But they're so small! They have so little plastic! I mean, sure, it adds up, but how about we ban the plastic cups first?
  - whiddershins 5y ago
    Because there was that one turtle one time. This stuff isn’t rational.
  - 1123581321 5y ago
    As the other user said, it’s hardly a rational process. The banners probably went for straws because they can be presented as relatively useless, or perhaps that their proponents are just gluttons.
dkdk8283 5y ago
I absolutely love plastic straws and carry them in my car. Not everyone can “drink normally“.
- adrianN 5y ago
  If only people who can't drink normally used plastic straws, I doubt they would be much of an environmental problem.
DocTomoe 5y ago
Hm, there are drinks that make "more sense" through straws. I am somewhat entangled in Tiki culture, and (mostly-)rum-based mixology. Drinking through straws changes drinking speeds and makes the whole experience slower and arguably better. I switched to stainless steel straws. Those are way better than paper straws which start to disintegrate after 10 minutes, and probably last for a lifetime.
anonytrary 5y ago
Strongly disagree with this. Straws have a benefit over picking up a cup and sipping. A sip takes extra time and effort. If you have a lot of ice in the cup, it could get in the way of a sip. More importantly, straws can reduce spills, and make it more convenient to drink when your hands are busy or when you need to focus attention elsewhere. TLDR: There's no way people are giving up straws in movie theaters.
- akiselev 5y ago
  Not to mention the millions of people with temporary or permanent disabilities that make fine motor control difficult or impossible. Or the millions (billions?) of people who need an unobstructed view while operating dangerous machinery like… maybe… driving. A straw is one of the most basic accessibility and safety devices in the world.
  - GordonS 5y ago
    > need an unobstructed view while operating dangerous machinery like… maybe… driving. Maybe... don't drink while you're driving, that's a whole lot safer. You had a point about those with disabilities though. The workaround there is to buy your own straws and keep them with you.
- Bud 5y ago
  What's a movie theater?

1123581321 5y ago

The exact figure is elusive. But hundreds of millions are used per day in the US. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40534/do-americans-use-500-million-straws-per-day https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40534/do-americ... Juice boxes, coffee stirring straws, and soda cups from fast food and convenience stores make up many of them.

Wowfunhappy 5y ago
But they're so small! They have so little plastic! I mean, sure, it adds up, but how about we ban the plastic cups first?
- whiddershins 5y ago
  Because there was that one turtle one time. This stuff isn’t rational.
- 1123581321 5y ago
  As the other user said, it’s hardly a rational process. The banners probably went for straws because they can be presented as relatively useless, or perhaps that their proponents are just gluttons.

dkdk8283 5y ago

I absolutely love plastic straws and carry them in my car. Not everyone can “drink normally“.

adrianN 5y ago
If only people who can't drink normally used plastic straws, I doubt they would be much of an environmental problem.

DocTomoe 5y ago

Hm, there are drinks that make "more sense" through straws. I am somewhat entangled in Tiki culture, and (mostly-)rum-based mixology. Drinking through straws changes drinking speeds and makes the whole experience slower and arguably better. I switched to stainless steel straws. Those are way better than paper straws which start to disintegrate after 10 minutes, and probably last for a lifetime.

anonytrary 5y ago

Strongly disagree with this. Straws have a benefit over picking up a cup and sipping. A sip takes extra time and effort. If you have a lot of ice in the cup, it could get in the way of a sip. More importantly, straws can reduce spills, and make it more convenient to drink when your hands are busy or when you need to focus attention elsewhere. TLDR: There's no way people are giving up straws in movie theaters.

akiselev 5y ago
Not to mention the millions of people with temporary or permanent disabilities that make fine motor control difficult or impossible. Or the millions (billions?) of people who need an unobstructed view while operating dangerous machinery like… maybe… driving. A straw is one of the most basic accessibility and safety devices in the world.
- GordonS 5y ago
  > need an unobstructed view while operating dangerous machinery like… maybe… driving. Maybe... don't drink while you're driving, that's a whole lot safer. You had a point about those with disabilities though. The workaround there is to buy your own straws and keep them with you.
Bud 5y ago
What's a movie theater?