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Medical experts warned the public of a health risk from sipping hot drinks directly from small openings in the plastic covers of takeaway hot drinks.

Toxic discharge released from the plastic covers could have a negative impact on the endocrine and reproductive systems, they said.

The experts suggested that people should remove the cover before drinking the beverage.

Local beverage vendors, however, dismissed the concerns, responding that their plastic cover products have passed official safety tests.

The following are excerpts from local media coverage of the issue:

Liberty Times:

The Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology warned that bisphenol A (BPA) toxicity can be produced when hot drinks are sipped through small openings in plastic covers.

Chien Chi-cheng, a member of the association, said the chemical disrupts the menstrual cycle and can result in infertility. The chemical can also pass through the placenta and harm the health of a fetus.

However, a coffee chain spokesman surnamed Lin said the quality of their plastic covers meets government regulations.

Vendors in many other countries also use plastic covers when serving their to-go customers, Lin added.

United Daily News:

The accumulation of BPA in the body could increase cancer risks, according to the Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Lee Ching-chang, director of National Cheng Kung University's Research Center for Environmental Trace Toxic Substances, said that at present, there is no single research on the amount of toxic chemicals produced when a plastic cover meets a hot drink.

He advised people nonetheless to minimize the number of possibilities of exposing themselves to toxic substances when enjoying hot drinks.