Staff Reports
Bad news for the “eco-friendly” crowd! Turns out those paper straws and bamboo alternatives they’ve been touting as the perfect solution to plastic are actually filled with toxic chemicals. Yes, that’s right, these so-called “green” options contain what scientists call “forever chemicals,” which can stick around in the environment for a very long time. Whoops!
A recent study in Belgium found that the majority of paper straws and bamboo straws tested contained PFAS, these awful forever chemicals. And what are the risks of exposure? Well, they range from low birth weight to an increased risk of cancer. Yikes! It’s pretty scary stuff, and it makes you wonder why we swapped out plastic straws for something potentially even worse.
But hey, don’t worry, the scientists still aren’t exactly sure what levels of exposure are problematic, so just go ahead and use these toxic straws, right? Wrong! It seems like a pretty basic rule of thumb that you should figure out the health risks before promoting a product, but apparently, the Democrats who pushed for paper straws didn’t get the memo.
And let’s not forget that banning plastic straws was a pointless exercise to begin with. The amount of plastic used by straws is minuscule compared to other products. But the “green” movement loves a good panic, and it’s not the first time they jumped on a bandwagon without all the facts. Remember when they banned plastic grocery bags, only to find out that paper and reusable bags are actually worse for the environment? Yeah, not their finest moment.
So, while the left continues to push their ridiculous eco-friendly mandates, the rest of us are left with subpar straws that taste like paper. Isn’t that just lovely? Thanks, Democrats! Maybe next time, think before you ban.
