Editing Drinking straw (section)

{{Short description|Thin tube for drinking liquids}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
[[File:Eight drinking straws (4273846588).jpg|thumb|Plastic drinking straws with bellows segment]]

A '''drinking straw''' is a [[List of eating utensils|utensil]] that uses suction to carry the contents of a [[beverage]] to one's mouth. A straw is used by placing one end in the mouth and the other in a beverage. By applying [[suction]] with the mouth, the air pressure in the mouth drops, which causes [[atmospheric pressure]] to force the liquid through the straw and into the mouth. Drinking straws can be straight or have an angle-adjustable [[bellows]] segment.

[[Disposable product|Disposable straws]] are commonly made from plastics. However,  environmental concerns related to [[plastic pollution]] and new regulation have led to rise in reusable and [[biodegradable]] straws. Following a rise in regulation and public concern, some companies have voluntarily banned or reduced the number of plastic straws used. Alternative straws are often made of [[Reuse|reusable materials]] like [[silicone]] or [[metal]] or alternative disposable and biodegradable materials like [[paper]], [[cardboard]], [[pasta]], or [[bamboo]].

Straws have been used since earliest [[recorded history]], with the first extant straws dating from the 4th century BCE. Different traditional drinks and foods use straws designed for explicit purposes, such as the "straw and sieve" [[bombilla]] used to drink the [[Mate (drink)|mate infusion]] common to South America. Since the early 20th century, mass-production of straws from plastic and other industrial products such as [[cellophane]] has increased the widespread availability of disposable straws.

Though most straws are used by able-bodied peoples, they play an important role in food and drink access for people with [[Physical disability|physical disabilities]] that affect their ability to swallow, hold glassware, or carry the weight of drinks or other liquids.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Alice |date=2018-07-19 |title=Banning Plastic Straws Is a Huge Burden on Disabled People |url=https://www.eater.com/2018/7/19/17586742/plastic-straw-ban-disabilities |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Eater |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Danovich |first1=Tove |last2=Godoy |first2=Maria |date=July 11, 2018 |title=Why People With Disabilities Want Bans On Plastic Straws To Be More Flexible |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/07/11/627773979/why-people-with-disabilities-want-bans-on-plastic-straws-to-be-more-flexible |work=The Salt |publisher=NPR}}</ref> Straws can also be an important part of both [[Child care|child]] and [[elderly care]] or in recovery from certain medical procedures such as dental work, making it safer and easier to consume liquids. However, the use of straws may not always be advisable depending on the health situation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pang |first1=Bo |last2=Cox |first2=Paul |last3=Codino |first3=Julianna |last4=Collum |first4=Austin |last5=Sims |first5=Jake |last6=Rubin |first6=Adam |date=2020-01-30 |title=Straw vs Cup Use in Patients with Symptoms of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia |url=https://smrj.scholasticahq.com/article/11591-straw-vs-cup-use-in-patients-with-symptoms-of-oropharyngeal-dysphagia |journal=Spartan Medical Research Journal |language=en |volume=4 |issue=2 |page=11591 |doi=10.51894/001c.11591 |issn=2474-7629 |pmc=7746115 |pmid=33655165}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=EPA |first=NSW |date=2022-11-10 |title=Plastic single-use straws - exemptions guidance |url=https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/plastics/exemptions/plastic-single-use-straws-guidance |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=NSW Environment Protection Authority |language=en}}</ref>