Sharks on Drugs

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While it seems farfetched, it is not: sharks living off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine.

Research scientists at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil made the discovery and published it in the journal. Science of the Total Environment.

They tested 13 Brazilian sharp-nose sharks in the waters off Rio de Janeiro and found cocaine present in both the liver and muscle tissue of all 13 specimens. Scientists believe there are several ways cocaine can get into fish: Waste from drug users' bodies entering the sewage system, "clandestine" cocaine-refining laboratories disposing of pure cocaine into Brazilian waters, and people intentionally dumping the contraband. It's conceivable sharks could ingest cocaine found in discarded or lost bales. (It seems like monthly, for example, Cozumel police find cocaine bails on their shores.)...

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