My thoughts on metal straws

 
It's 2019 and according to various sources, our ocean is contaminated with loads of plastic wastes ranging from plastic bags, to plastic cups, lids and all kinds including that one tool which everyone loves- plastic straws. Why is this bad news? The obvious reason being number one, it contaminates the water source and number two, it endangers the lives of the ocean creatures. It's never cool to see a turtle having a piece of plastic straw pierced through its nose and having to suffer that pain all its life.

So, the ultimate solution was to ban all plastic straws and reducing the use of plastic products, especially plastic bags.

I think it's a good initiative to reduce the use of plastic products so as to reduce plastic waste. Now, there are many stores, mall kiosks or even online websites are selling reusable straws that are made of glass, bamboo, plastic, paper, silicone and metal.

The main focus of me writing this post today is, as the title suggests, my thoughts on using metal straws as an alternative to plastic straws.

I'm not against the use of metal straws completely and the below are my opinions.

Image courtesy of Google images

Why use metal straws?

Good question.


1) Durability

The main reason why everyone loves using these metal things is because it's really durable compared to other types of materials. It doesn't break easily. You don't even need to replace it so often.

2) Cheap

It costs about RM2-8 per piece depending on the size and which seller you buy it from. It's a lot cheaper than using paper straws.

3) Easy to wash

Provided you have a straw cleaning brush, washing becomes a really easy task.

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Look, using metal straws gives you so many advantages! But what is the risk of using such things? Will it cause any harm?

I have two metal straws on my own and I frequently use them to drink ice cold beverages. I really like sipping on sodas using straws. Technically, I just cannot live without straws.

However, the truth about metal straws is that it can cause serious harm if not used cautiously. I'm not sure if most people are aware of a recent case where a woman passed away after a metal straw had pierced through her eye and brain because she accidentally tripped and fell over the metal straw. Yes, this really happened you can go google about this news online. To cut it short, the most serious risk of metal straws is that it can cause fatal injuries.

Besides that, I noticed whenever I accidentally knock onto the end of the straw, even the slightest knock can cause a cut on the lip or worse, the gums. The cut made my lip swell and not to mention it was awfully painful too. As such, I personally think that we shouldn't encourage the use of such straws when it comes to children or the elderly.

So what now?

My final thoughts about metal straws are that despite the many advantages, there remains the risk of injuries using such straws. Children and the elderly are not encouraged to use it as they are more on the vulnerable side.

I agree that the use of plastic straws should be reduced but I think we should not ban it completely as there are still groups of individuals like children or the elderly would need to use them to prevent unnecessary harm and accidents. To those who wish to use metal straws, do exercise them with caution to prevent any injuries.

Alternatively, use reusable plastic straws or even paper straws if you wish to cut down plastic waste.

I have switched to using a reusable plastic straw as a safer option. I'll still use the metal straws that I have but not so frequently anymore because I'm very clumsy 😓