Water Supply Contaminated With Antidepressants May Cause Autism

Caroline Hattersley, Head of Information, Advice and Advocacy at The National Autistic Society, said: "It's important that we expand research into the causes of autism. We know that environmental and genetic factors have some role to play, but our understanding is still very limited as it is such a complex disability."

Many researchers and health campaigners have drawn their own conclusions as to the source of the sharp rise in autism rates. Many point to the sharp rise in the use of the MMR vaccine, which correlates almost exactly with the rise in autism, whilst others point to the rise of additives in food. Autism Spectrum Disorders are a complex issue because there is such a huge range of behavior that is classed under the general term "Autism". Whilst there are common factors in the behavior of autistic people, such as problems with social interaction and communication, some have very different needs to others.

Big Pharma made this mess, they should clean it up
Reported in the Daily mail, the findings state that the tests were carried out on fish using two drugs, Prozac and Venlafaxine. The minnows the fish fathered were tested and were found to have genetic pathway changes, mimicking idiopathic autism disorders in humans. The dosages were at the level of the maximum dosages expected in the environment.

"We need to be cautious when looking at these particular findings. Said Ms Hattersley, There is simply not enough evidence to draw any firm conclusions and so people should not be alarmed by this research."

The tests are early research that raise important considerations in the way we impact our environment. It is not only anti depressants, but also contraceptives and agricultural chemicals that have devastated our most valuable resource, water. By pushing dangerous chemicals and drugs on millions of people, who in turn have excreted the drugs into the environment, Big Pharma have made billions of dollars. The environmental implications of these drugs is the need to spend millions upgrading the water purification plants. Surely it is the responsibility of the pharmaceutical companies to pay for this clean up. Meanwhile the emphasis on researching links between autism, ADHD, vaccines and food must still continue. ASD is varied in scope and severity, and so it may be that the disorders may also be caused by different stimuli.