Lab Findings Reveal Idaho Trout May Swim Further On Cocaine

More and more data is revealing that the human dependency on drug use is extending greatly into our natural habitats. A European experiment was conducted recently involving discarded drugs and fish, and the affects they have on the animal’s behavior.

Idaho, like most states, has a great deal of wastewater sources from agricultural runoff, food processing plants, sewage, and other industrial activities throughout the Snake River Basin, and fish are coming into contact with various drugs and chemicals.

It’s estimated that more than 270 million humans use drugs each year, according to a United Nations report. Sadly, drug use is a fact of life in the Gem State as well, despite laws forbidding it recreationally. Drug pollution is spilling over into Idaho lakes and rivers.

A Recent Study Found That Fish Are Among The Most Drugged-Out Animals On Earth

A university in Sweden recently published finding on the affects of cocaine and other drugs on fish. The experiment yielded not to surprising results–one of which found that fish swim longer distances with drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine in their bodies, according to details shared by The Guardian.

READ MORE: Here’s Where And When 110,000 Fish Will Be Stocked In Idaho This Month

A fish’s brain chemistry is altered in similar fashion to humans, which include a sense of dependency, according to details provided by the BBC.

Animals should never be deliberately given drugs of any kind. To do so qualifies as animal cruelty, and police will have cause to make an arrest.