Although the vast majority of people can go without straws or use alternatives such as paper, some people with disabilities cannot. Conditions that include muscle weakness or paralysis, swallowing problems or involuntary movements make it difficult to drink beverages without a straw. What to do if you’re a restaurant or venue owner?
- Go ahead and keep a small stock of flexible plastic straws for your customers with special needs. The flexible straws tend to work best in these situations. Reducing plastic straw use instead of eliminating it is much better than no change at all!
- Buy a small stock of alternatives such as silicone straws or steel straws with silicone tips for your customers who need them. See Straw Alternatives for ideas.
Finally, check out this post by disability-advocate website The Mighty for a discussion of the straw debate and reviews of straw alternatives for people with disabilities.