New California Law Restricts Use of Plastic Straws in Restaurants

California is now the first state to bar restaurants from automatically providing customers with single-use plastic straws, the Associated Press reports. The new law, which was signed Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown, does not outright ban plastic straws, but diners will have to explicitly ask for them. It applies only to full-service restaurants, not fast-food eateries. Restaurants that don’t comply with the new law, which will take effect next year, will receive two warnings before being fined up to $300 per year.