Slow down on straw ban

Plastic straws have been a growing topic of discussion lately, from national news to local headlines right here in Cape Breton. At the center of that discussion? The banning of plastic straws.

Like many people, when I initially heard about the idea of banning plastic straws I thought it sounded great. It’s something that takes little effort, and lowers the amount of garbage that ends up in our environment. However; the more I thought about it, the more concerned I became. In everyone’s excitement to save the world one plastic straw at a time, one group of people has been overlooked in a major way.

For people living with disabilities, straws can be an essential tool for independent living. As an ablebodied person, it’s easy for me to say plastic straws are an unnecessary “luxury” in my life. Can I give them up? Sure, and I encourage people who can, to make that decision for themselves. But not everyone has that luxury, and by banning the availability of plastic straws in restaurants and other public locations, we are making things more difficult for others.

Of course, alternatives to plastic straws have been suggested, but they aren’t a perfect fix. Paper straws don’t typically bend well, and turn to mush fairly quickly, and steel and glass straws which seem to be the most frequent suggestion, could result in burns if used for hot drinks or soups. On top of that, not all restaurants participating in the ban have an alternative available, customers simply won’t have the option of requesting a straw.

Some readers will see this and think, can’t people who need straws so badly just bring them themselves? And, sure, they could, but should they have to? Frankly, people living with disabilities in Canada deal with enough already: lack of accessibility in public buildings, poor snow clearing in the winter, and countless other things. It shouldn’t be up to them to remember to carry straws everywhere they go. They have just as much right as anyone else to show up to a restaurant empty-handed and be catered to as a guest.

I applaud restaurants and individuals for trying to reduce the amount of plastic we’re producing, but I think if this is an issue people feel strongly about, it needs to be addressed properly. Governments should be meeting with organizations run by people living with disabilities, to develop alternatives that work for everyone. We should be putting pressure on manufacturers to think creatively and design more environmentally friendly options. What we shouldn’t be doing, is shaming people who ask for a straw. It’s not fair to alienate people, without providing a legitimate alternative to an important product. I encourage local restaurants to take a step back and consider this before trying to look like the good guy by entirely banning plastic straws from your establishment.

I want to be clear that I’m in no place to speak on behalf of people living with disabilities. However, I do think it’s important that we start thinking more inclusively when trends like this start to sweep the nation.