YES LET’S DO WHAT WE CAN TO REDUCE NON-BIODEGRADABLE WASTE, BUT ARE PLASTIC STRAWS REALLY A BIG PART OF THE PROBLEM?

Putting aside the question of why anyone attempting to set public policy would rely on a telephone survey conducted by a 9 year old, the attempt to cut down on the unnecessary use of plastic straws seems like it might be a good idea.  Anything to reduce the volume of non-biodegradable waste is probably beneficial.  
How much the use of plastic straws contributes to the problem of non-biodegradable waste, however, is another question.  The research on actual usage of plastic straws is obviously relevant to that inquiry.  
Remember the good old days when straws were made out of paper?