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Should Plastic Straws Be Banned?

Plastic straws make drinking easy and fun (slurp!). But they’re also harming animals around the world. 

    When you think of plastic straws, you probably imagine thick, frosty milkshakes. Or maybe you think of ice-cold sodas and delicious smoothies. Straws make drinking easier and neater. And who doesn’t love that loud slurp at the end of a tasty drink?

    But did you know that Americans use half a billion plastic straws every day? That’s enough to wrap around the globe two-and-a-half times. 

    And experts say that all those skinny plastic straws are harming animals around the world.

Bad for Earth and Animals

    Americans throw out 12 million pounds of plastic straws each year. But a single straw weighs very little. Because they’re so light, many straws blow out of trash cans and dumps. The wind carries them to rivers and oceans. The straws wash up on beaches and pollute parks.

    Birds, fish, and other animals can mistake straws for food or swallow them by accident. Straws have been found stuck in a sea turtle’s nose and wedged in the stomachs of dead birds and dolphins. 

    Some experts say that more than 1 million sea animals are killed each year by straws and other types of plastic trash. 

    The problem is so serious that many people want to ban plastic straws. Seattle, Washington, is one of several cities that have taken that step. Starting in July, restaurants there will no longer be allowed to hand out plastic straws.

Not Just for Fun

    But not everyone wants to ban plastic straws completely. For some people, straws aren’t just for fun. 

    Millions of people use straws to get the liquids they need to survive. Many people have health issues that make it hard to drink straight from a cup. Other people are very old and cannot sip safely without a straw.

    Some people have tooth problems that make it painful to drink cold liquids. When they sip through a straw, it keeps the icy drinks away from their teeth. 

    And of course, it’s hard to drink thick, frothy beverages, like Frappuccinos, without a straw. Nobody looks good with a chocolate mustache or a blob of whipped cream on their nose. 

    People who want to ban straws say that not all straws would be outlawed—just plastic ones that get used only once. People could still buy reusable straws. These are made of materials like glass or bamboo.

    And what about this: a straw made of ice. You make them in special molds in your freezer. They chill your drink as you sip, and then disappear completely. 

    Drinkers get to enjoy their slurp—and animals stay safe. 

    What a cool idea. •

ACTIVITY

Should We Ban Plastic Straws?

What to do: Use evidence from the article to support each side of this debate. Write the information on the lines below.

What to do: Use evidence from the article to support each side of this debate. Write the information on the lines below.

What to do: Use evidence from the article to support each side of this debate. Write the information on the lines below.

Yes.  They’re too harmful!

Yes.  They’re too harmful!

Yes.  They’re too harmful!

No. They’re so useful!

No. They’re so useful!

No. They’re so useful!

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