Published on August 9, 2004 at 11:19 AM
The British Environment Agency has reported that the anti-depression drug Prozac can now be found in Britain's drinking water. Prozac is being used at such an alarming rate in Britain that it is building up both in river systems and groundwater.
Prozac is one of the world's most widely used anti-depressant drugs. It is prescribed to treat various kinds of depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorders.
It is estimated that up to 40,000 children and teenagers take antidepressants in Britain. All antidepressants other than Prozac are banned for those under 18 in Britain, amid fears that they can lead to suicidal tendencies.
This recent discovery raises fears that British GPs are overprescribing Prozac. Between 1991 and 2001, overall prescriptions of antidepressants rose from nine million to 24 million a year.
A recent report by the Agency also found that Prozac could be potentially toxic in the water table and said the drug was a 'potential concern'.
Some experts believe that Prozac finds its way into rivers and water systems from treated sewage water and could affect people's reproductive ability.