‘Suction and swallow tool’ labelled instance cure for hiccups

A new L-shaped drinking device is being heralded as an instant cure for hiccups, with 92% of 249 volunteers — more than two thirds of whom said they had hiccups at least once a month — who tested the device experiencing instant results. But is this new device, which retails for about NZ$20, any better than home remedies that people use when they have hiccups? Dr Rajshri Roy is a lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Auckland. She discusses what brings hiccups on in the first place, and whether this now ‘wonder straw’ is likely to do what the makers claim.