A TikTok creator is warning people to ditch their glass straws after she was hospitalized for accidentally swallowing a shard of broken glass.

@colorful__chaos shared a viral PSA from her hospital bed, explaining that a glass straw she was drinking from had chipped, sending a piece of it into her stomach without her realizing.

The video, shared on Nov. 23, 2025, went viral with over 23 million views. The mom and TikTok creator could barely talk as she warned, “Don’t use glass straws,” from the emergency room. She added she would have to contact TikTok about taking down content she had previously shared promoting the glass straws.

The video garnered over 22,000 comments. Glass straw users were shocked, and many vowed to switch to stainless steel or silicon versions in response to the accident. People wary of glass straws had their anxieties validated by the horror story. 

How a glass straw turned dangerous

@_colorful__chaos_ said she was drinking from a glass straw when she realized she swallowed something. She noticed a shard of glass missing from the straw, and “kind of freaked out a little bit.”

She realized she wasn’t in pain and didn’t feel anything lodged in her throat, so she calmed down—until two hours later, when she burped up blood. 

At the emergency room, @_colorful__chaos_ was given a cat scan that revealed a shard of glass in her stomach. The doctors administered general anesthesia and attempted to retrieve the glass through a tube they put down her throat.

But by the time the procedure was underway, the glass had moved from her stomach into her intestines. She was released from the hospital and told to watch for bleeding and wait for the shard to pass over the next few days. 

“So I got a piece of glass floating around in my intestines. Which is awesome,” @_colorful__chaos_ said. “They said because it already went through my esophagus and my stomach that, you know, most likely it’ll be fine.

“Glass straws will be a no go forever in my house,” she concluded. “Never again. Don’t use glass straws.”

@_colorful__chaos_ SEND THIS to anyone you know who uses glass straws! If youre using them TOSS THEM OUT. Not worth it. #glassstraws #glassstraw #glass #straw #emergency ♬ original sound – _itsbreezie_

Commenters rush to replace their straws after warning

“new fear unlocked.”

“guys, buy stainless steel or silicon straws. those glass straws are not it.”

“I’ve been using glass straws for about 5 or 6 years now. I’m throwing them away right now!! Thank you for this PSA!! I hope you pass it safely ❤️”

“I would’ve died from a panic attack before I could’ve even made it to the hospital 😭”

@_colorful__chaos_ did not immediately reply to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok.

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The post “New fear unlocked”: Woman’s glass straw shatters. Then, she burps up blood and ends up in the ER appeared first on The Daily Dot.

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