People who are in the habit of taking ecstasy or other drugs most likely have no idea they are also getting fish high

Jan 15, 2015 12:45 GMT  ·  By
Study finds fish in Taiwan are likely affected by ecstasy present in their home rivers
   Study finds fish in Taiwan are likely affected by ecstasy present in their home rivers

In a recent issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology, which is run by the American Chemical Society, researchers make a case of how fish living in Taiwan are quite often exposed to ecstasy.

The scientists behind this report say that, having collected and analyzed water samples, they found that, in the aftermath of a major music festival, local rivers in Taiwan more often than not end up containing worrying concentrations of the illicit drug.

This can only mean that the people attending the festival are in the habit of taking ecstasy, and in doing so, they threaten the wellbeing of local aquatic ecosystems. Simply put, evidence indicates that party-goers are getting fish living close to the site of the festival high.

Interestingly enough, it appears that, following music festivals, other contaminants such as caffeine also become quite common in rivers in Taiwan. Together with the ecstasy, these contaminants are believed to be a threat to local aquatic creatures.

Specifically, it is believed that, once becoming part and parcel of natural ecosystems, the contaminants can make aquatic dwellers behave oddly, maybe even cause the creatures exposed to them to develop all sorts of health complications.

Presently, specialists cannot say for sure how the presence of ecstasy, caffeine and other harmful substances in rivers in Taiwan affects the plants and animals populating these bodies of water. Hopefully, future investigations will clear up this mystery.