possible choking hazard with paper straws

You probably recognize it: if you take a little longer on your drink, your straw will become completely limp. Paper straws may be much more durable, but there are also risks associated with them. When sucking for a long time, parts of the straws can loosen and paper wads end up in the throat. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) now warns about this.

At the end of February, the NVWA called on people to report problems with paper straws to them. More than 1,300 responses were received. More than 400 reports were about possible loosening of the paper. In almost all cases, the drinking was slow. Especially children and people with disabilities may be at risk of suffocation. The advice for parents and carers is therefore to stay nearby when children or people with disabilities drink through a paper straw.

No emergencies

In most cases reported, a paper wad could easily be coughed out. No actual suffocation or other emergencies were reported to the NVWA. The NVWA is entering into talks with producers of paper straws to improve the quality of straws.

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