Fish fed extremely low concentrations of an anti-anxiety drug
eat more quickly, act more boldly, and socialize less than their
un-medicated peers, Bent Christensen / AP Drugs taken by humans
can have unintended side effects — on fish, in the natural
environment. Turns out, fish fed extremely low concentrations of
an antianxiety drug eat more quickly, and act bolder and more
antisocial than their un-medicated peers, a new study finds. "We
can see profound effects at the low levels that we find in
surface water. Exposed fish are more bold," Jerker Fick, a co-
author and researcher at Umea University in Sweden, said at a
news conference here at the annual meeting of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The study
looked at the effect of oxazepam (also known as Serax), used to
treat anxiety and panic in humans, on the widespread European
perch fish. Researchers gave the fish a concentration of drugs
similar to that found in rivers and streams in Sweden and
elsewhere, according to a study