The potential for a straw ban has made it to Mississippi. In a bill offered by Senator Simmons (12th) it would prohibit a restaurant from providing a single-use plastic straw to a patron unless it is asked for.
SB 2071 classifies a single-use straw as a mostly plastic straw. It doesn’t include straws that are made from paper, pasta, sugar cane, wood or bamboo. The law would be enforced by the State Department of Health and if you violate it you could be fined up to $300.
The bill reads:
This section shall be enforced by the State Department of Health. For a first or second violation of subsection (1), the department shall issue a notice of violation to the food establishment. Any subsequent violation shall constitute an infraction punishable by a civil fine of Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) for each day that the food establishment is in violation, but not to exceed Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00) annually. The civil fine shall be assessed and collected by the department.
States like Hawaii & California and cities including New York City, Seattle, and Miami Beach have all banned the use of plastic straws in food establishments. Many of these laws have been passed in an attempt to reduce waste and protect the environment.
Sarah Ulmer
