The disturbing death of a woman in the UK has once again sparked a debate that had previously banned the use of plastic straws worldwide.

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A British woman was pierced by a metal straw after she fell at home. A coroner said in an investigation this week that the investigation highlighted the potential dangers of metal straws. With cities, states and even countries banning the use of disposable plastic straws, such straws are becoming more and more popular.

According to the coroner’s report released on Monday, a 60-year-old woman, Elena Struthers-Gardner (Elena Struthers-Gardner), fell in November after a 10-inch straw pierced her eye. Traumatic brain injury.

"Due to the fall, the stainless steel straw in the Kilner-style glass that Mrs. Struthers-Gardner carried with her pierced her left eye," the report said, referring to a glass jar similar to a Mason jar, often with a lid. It called her death an accident.

The report issued in Bournemouth, about two hours' drive southwest of London, stated that she fell at home on November 22 and was taken to Southampton General Hospital, where she died the next day.

Ms. Struthers-Gardner’s wife, Mandy, said in a statement read during the inquiry that her partner was a jockey and was prone to fall after being injured on horseback when she was 21 years old. She suffers from scoliosis-a curvature of the spine-her wife said, and has dealt with substance abuse.

On Thursday, Ms. Straths-Gardner's wife did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The UK's straw ban will take effect in April, but the global environmental protection measures against disposable straws have been opposed by some caregivers and advocates for the disabled. They are concerned about the safety of hard straws and the overall availability of straws, because people who cannot drink without them.

According to the Bournemouth Daily Echo report, assistant coroner Brendan Allen said: "Obviously, you should be extra careful when using these metal straws." "They didn't give in at all."

"In my opinion, these metal straws should not be used with any kind of lid to hold them in place," he added. "It seems that the main problem here is that if the lid is not properly closed, the straw will be removed."

Kim Sauder is a blogger and PhD in Toronto. Disability studies students say that the death of Ms. Struthers-Gardner is a warning story.

"I don't know whether'reusable straws', as envisioned by environmentalists, are really common enough, but I don't really know what dangers they pose," Ms. Sauder said on Wednesday.

"The straw ban is nothing more than environmental drama," Ms. Sauder wrote on Twitter last year. "The biggest achievement of the straw ban is really its prejudice against the disabled."

Ms. Sauder said that many people with disabilities rely on straws for drinking, but in states and cities that prohibit or restrict the use of disposable straws, such as California and Seattle, it may be difficult to find them.

Starbucks plans to phase out its ubiquitous green plastic straws in its 28,000 locations worldwide in 2020.

However, it is not easy for Starbucks to go green.

In 2016, the coffee chain recalled stainless steel straws sold in its stores because of the risk of injury. At that time, Starbucks stated that it had received reports of three children in the United States and one child in Canada being torn by straws, which were sold together with reusable beverage containers.

Dentists say that improper use of metal or glass straws can also be harmful to teeth.

"It is clear that chewing on metal or glass straws can be harmful to your teeth and health," said Dr. Timothy Chase of SmilesNY Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry in New York. "It's like we tell people not to chew pens."

Dr. Chase added that it is important to keep the reusable straws clean to avoid bacteria that can cause infection.

Christina Trapani, owner of Eco Maniac, which sells reusable straws, called Ms. Struthers-Gardner's accident "terrible."

"This is an unfortunate example," Ms. Trapani said. "Hope it will not affect the movement."

Her company is located in Virginia Beach and sells steel, paper, glass, bamboo and silicone reusable straws.

"Metal straws are undoubtedly the most popular," said Ms. Trapani, who founded her own company in 2008. "I believe there will be some concerns, especially for children and the disabled." She said that flexible silicone straws are a practical alternative.

According to estimates by market research companies, Americans use between 170 million and 390 million straws every day. (A widely quoted statistic indicates that this number is even higher, at 500 million, but this estimate is based on a study of a 9-year-old boy.)

These numbers, and the viral video of marine biologists taking out plastic straws from turtle noses in 2015, have had an impact on policy makers.