Why Are There Holes In The Caps Of Pens?

Pens are everywhere. Oh yeah, people still use them. Not everything is electronic these days. Pens are still produced by the millions every year. We all use them every single day, but something I noticed the other day and I never really thought about it, but have you ever noticed that there is a hole or multiple holes at the top of the pen cap?

Ever wonder why it’s there? It’s not there to provide venting for the pen ink. The answer is actually quite simple and I was quite surprised after I looked up the answer.

More than 20 years ago, The BIC company came up with the idea. Did you ever stick the pen in your mouth with the cap on the end? It’s ok, you can admit it, we all have…and unfortunately, so have many children over the years. See where I’m going with this? That’s right, the number of children and adults who accidentally swallow pen caps every year, will knock you off of your chair.

BIC determined that when a pen cap is swallowed, it gets stuck in the trachea and would likely block breathing, but with a hole in the cap, the chances of choking on the cap are greatly reduced. The hole in the cap actually allows enough oxygen through to at least keep the victim alive until medics are on the scene.

After the BIC company adopted this idea, most of the other pen companies followed suit. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that save lives!