When you think you heard it all, they lob another one at you.

The majority leader in the California House of Representatives, Democrat Ian Calderon, has introduced a bill that will fine waiters up to $1000 dollars and up to 6 months in jail for offering a straw to a customer who did not ask for one.

In a press release Majority leader Calderon explained his reasoning for his bill as:

We need to create awareness around the issue of one-time use plastic straws and its detrimental effects on our landfills, waterways, and oceans…AB 1884 is not ban on plastic straws.  It is a small step towards curbing our reliance on these convenience products, which will hopefully contribute to a change in consumer attitudes and usage.

The question I have is why take it out on a waiter or waitress, why not just ban plastic straws altogether?

According to a reason.com article this is not the first time local governments have gone after plastic straws.  Two cities in California, San Luis Obispo and Davis, have passed straws-on-request laws last year. Another city in California, Manhattan Beach, passed and continues to have on the books a prohibition on all disposable plastics.  Also the city of Seattle Washington, starting in July of this year has banned food service businesses from offering plastic straws or utensils.

Many proponents of this type of regulation state the Americans use approximately 500 million straws a day.  Where do they get this data, from a group called Eco-Cycle.  Where did Eco-Cycle get their data, from a 2011 “study” performed by a 9 year old child, no joke.

Where did the child get his data?  From a phone survey of straw manufacturers that he performed, again at the age of 9.

The reason.com article states that the only research they found of plastic straws problem in the environment is the California Coastal Commission which started an annual Coastal Cleanup Day, they have stated that they collected a total of 835,425 straws and stirrers since 1988, during these annual cleanup days.

So what you may be hearing in the upcoming years from your waiter or waitress is:

NO STRAW FOR YOU!

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