Florida Moves to Ban Paper Straws as ‘Concerning Health Risks’ Emerge

Florida legislators are proposing bills that would send paper straws to the shredder.

Bills that have been introduced into the state Senate and House for consideration later this month would ban the straws at restaurants and other establishments that sell food, according to Fox News.

“Many businesses and communities in this state are using paper drinking straws and stirrers as a purportedly better option for public health and the environment,” Senate Bill 958 says in its text.

“However, independent university studies have shown that most paper straws contain harmful PFAS chemicals, exposure to which is linked to concerning health risks,” the bill says.

(PFAS stands for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, and are often nicknamed “forever chemicals.”)

“Paper drinking straw regulations marginalize residents with disabilities for whom paper straws are not an option,” the text says, adding, “Any regulation of drinking straws and stirrers must be based on government policy driven by science.”

Worst part about it is the paper straws still have plastic and PFAS in them AND since the straws fall apart you just end up ingesting more plastic. Pretty much every eco-friendly thing libs pushed on us just put more plastic in our bodies. https://t.co/UQIuwQFgK8 pic.twitter.com/4b3QB4iu8M

— Josh Rainer (@JoshRainerGold) February 8, 2025

The bill says it will “Combat the harmful impacts of paper drinking straws and stirrers and provide businesses and residents of this state with better alternatives to single-use plastic straws and stirrers.”

Fox News noted that in a 2023 study by University of Antwerp researchers, 90 percent of paper straws had contained PFAS chemicals.

Florida’s proposal exempts hospitals, medical centers or senior care facilities and does not cover prepackaged drinks.

Republican state Rep. Omar Blanco, who sponsored the state House version of the bill, said governments that want to eschew plastic can do better than paper, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

“If you’re really concerned about the environment and really concerned about making better decisions, I want to empower local governments to do that,” he said. “There’s a responsibility on both ends, and we have to work collectively.”

“I’m not saying we should do this at the expense of the environment, but if you’re health is affected, how should we balance the scale?” Blanco said.

He added: “Forget the inconvenience of paper straws, I think the time to put paper straws to pasture is now.”

Fox noted that President Donald Trump banned the federal government from using paper straws in a February executive order.

“I was tired of having straws melt in my mouth. You know, it wasn’t working,” Trump said in July.

“We solved so many commonsense problems, and they weren’t easy. You know, there are people that really believe in this stuff,” he said.

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