Susanna Reid was left speechless on ITV's Good Morning Britain when a marine expert claimed that fish are "full of cocaine." Professor Alex Ford, a marine biologist from Portsmouth University, was discussing the impact of water pollution.
He revealed that waters he tested off the Hampshire coast contained drugs, contraceptive pills and anti-depressants. "Every single marine species that we've looked at so far is full of cocaine," he stated.
He explained that the sewage treatment plant serves half-a-million people, and when it can't handle the waste, it discharges it directly into the sea. He said: "In the marine life beneath our feet, we are actually finding they are full of drugs. They are full of contraceptive pill, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medication."
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A shocked Susanna asked for clarification: "Sorry, can I just ask you to clarify with your expert there, if your expert is still there, every marine species is full of cocaine, did he say? What?"
Professor Ford confirmed: "Yes. exactly. The drugs affect this wildlife in the same way they do affect us. If you give a fish a contraceptive pill, it starts to feminise. If you give a crab anti-depressants, it changes their behaviour because those drugs were designed to change behaviour. If you give them illegal drugs as well, it actually has very much the same effect on them as it would do on people as well."
New figures have revealed the strain on the UK's water infrastructure due to increased demand and wetter weather. The Environment Agency reported that sewage spills in England's rivers and seas more than doubled within a year, with 3.6 million hours of spills in 2023 compared to 1.75 million in 2022, reports Bristol Live.
Water companies are allowed to release untreated sewage into waterways under exceptional circumstances like heavy rainfall. These overflow systems help protect homes and businesses from flooding. Water companies assure that only a small percentage of the discharge is wastewater.
Speaking to The Independent, Professor Ford spoke about his research and said: “I was shocked when I saw the readings to be honest. We thought [cocaine] would make shrimp swim quicker but it’s hard to compare to other creatures. We don’t know the full effect of it entering the water cycle, unfortunately. Many of these organisms will be exposed to a wide spectrum of different prescribed and illegal drugs.”
