Prozac bad for fish

Fish exposed to antidepressant drugs become anxious, antisocial and homicidal, new research finds.

Rebecca Klaper, a professor of freshwater sciences who presented her findings at a Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry conference last fall, found that exposure to three common antidepressants made male fathead minnows ignore females, take more time capturing prey, take longer routes and make more directional changes when evading predators, and even kill females in some cases, according to Environmental Health News.

The minnows were introduced to water tainted with the antidepressants Prozac and Effexor, and Tegretol, an anti-convulsant and mood-stabilizing drug, at levels found in wastewater discharged into streams.

Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States—with about 250 million prescriptions filled every year—and are also the highest-documented drug found contaminating waterways.