Florida could ban controversial paper straws over fears of exposure to cancer-causing forever chemicals.
Last month, the state introduced Senate Bill 958 alongside identical house bill HB 2195, which would restrict local bans or limits on the use of plastic straws and instead ban paper straws.
Many states, including California, New York and Connecticut, have banned the use of plastic straws in restaurants due to fears of environmental pollution. These states have replaced plastic straws with paper alternatives because they decompose faster and are recyclable, while plastic takes decades to degrade.
However, the Sunshine State is now taking aim at the environmentally friendlier straw over toxic chemicals it may contain.
HB 2195 states: ‘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.
‘However, independent university studies have shown that most paper straws contain harmful PFAS chemicals, exposure to which is linked to concerning health risks.’
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are toxic chemicals that don’t break down in the body, instead leeching from nonstick cookware, waterproof textiles and takeout containers into food and the skin and building up in vital organs, increasing the risk of organ failure, reproductive complications and some forms of cancer.
The bills introduced in Florida suggest the potential health risks of PFAS in paper straws outweigh the environmental benefits, even though plastic straws also contain harmful microplastics.
A Florida bill could ban the use of paper straws across the entire state over potential risks of PFAS (stock image)
HB 2195 states that any regulation of drinking straws must be based on ‘government policy driven by science.’
If passed, the law would go into effect on the same day it is passed and have a deadline of January 1, 2027, for local governments to update their existing straw laws.
The proposed rules would not apply to hospitals, medical centers or nursing homes, nor would they impact prepackaged drinks. It would instead apply to restaurants and food businesses.
The bills come after an executive order from President Donald Trump last year banning federal use of paper straws.
The executive order reads: ‘Plastic straws are often replaced by paper straws, which are nonfunctional, use chemicals that may carry risks to human health, are more expensive to produce than plastic straws and often force users to use multiple straws.’
Florida originally tried to overturn plastic straw bans in 2019, but the measure was vetoed by Governor Ron DeSantis because he believed the issue was best addressed at the local level.
Emerging research has pointed to the risks of PFAS in paper straws.
One 2023 study published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants found that nine in 10 paper straw brands tested contained PFAS, which the team suggested could have been used as water-repellent coating.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, pictured above, has previously vetoed measures to overturn plastic straw bans
However, the team noted that the PFAS concentrations were low, and since most people only use the straws occasionally, there is a limited long-term health risk.
The study authors recommended either using stainless steel straws or going without.
Another 2021 study found the toxic forever chemicals PFOS and PFOA in paper and other plant-based drinking straws made of materials like bamboo or wheat. They also found these chemicals leached from the straws into beverages.
Plastic straws, meanwhile, have been shown to break down into microplastics, tiny particles smaller than a grain of sand that seep from food containers, water and baby toys into the blood.
From there, they accumulate in the brain, heart and other vital organs and lead to widespread inflammation, infertility and potentially some forms of cancer.
Virtually all humans have microplastics circulating in their body, and studies estimate the average person ingests 50,000 of these particles every year.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, New Jersey introduced a bill that would ban restaurants from providing single-use plastic utensils to customers unless requested. Restaurants would instead have to provide reusable, washable utensils for people eating their meals on site.
