Toilet and bathroom habits are typically a taboo topic in the U.S. We blush when we excuse ourselves from a crowded room to use the “restroom,“ or “the facilities” or the “ladies’ room,” or some equally clever colloquialism.But toilets are a luxury, and sanitation is perhaps the most under-appreciated privilege of a first-world country.In honor of World Toilet Day, which has been celebrated on Nov. 19 since 2001, let’s pause for a minute to consider these facts:
Worldwide, 2.5 billion people lack access to sanitation.
1 billion people still defecate in the open.
Half of India’s population — 620 million people — expel
