#363 - CBS NEWS: Cocaine Salmon, and What it Means For Us | Mark E. Shaw#363 - CBS NEWS: Cocaine Salmon, and What it Means For Us | Mark E. Shaw
The Addiction Connection Podcast
Mark E. Shaw comments on news about cocaine-exposed salmon and drugged sharks to highlight how widespread drug use affects both people and the environment. He links these findings to a biblical view of sin, a fallen world, and trust in God amid addiction and pollution.
12:13•23 Apr 2026
Cocaine Salmon, Drugged Sharks and a Gospel Look at a Drugged Culture
Episode Overview
- Research on salmon and sharks highlights how drug residues are entering rivers and oceans.
- Wastewater treatment reduces but does not eliminate pharmaceutical and illicit drug byproducts.
- The United States uses a high percentage of the world’s drugs, contributing to environmental contamination.
- Addiction is described as sin that damages people and reflects the brokenness of a fallen world.
- Despite pollution and addiction, God is presented as sovereign and trustworthy, sustaining life in a damaged creation.
“Bottom line for us is God is on the throne and we can trust him. He'll take care of you.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This short episode of The Addiction Connection Podcast takes a surprisingly quirky route: salmon on cocaine and sharks testing positive for drugs. Host Mark E. Shaw uses a CBS News story about Swedish researchers dosing salmon with cocaine to talk about just how drug-saturated modern life has become.
You’ll hear Mark summarise research showing that salmon exposed to cocaine swam about 1.9 times farther than the control group, and that wild sharks off the coast of Brazil were found with high levels of cocaine in their systems. He links this to what he previously learned from Dr.
Daniel Berger about drug residues turning up in wastewater and, ultimately, in drinking water: "Our wastewater treatment systems are a blessing, but they don't get everything." While there’s some light humour about scientists getting fish high, the tone stays grounded. Mark keeps circling back to a bigger point: widespread drug use doesn’t just harm individuals; it leaves a mark on the whole environment.
He suggests simple, practical awareness like thinking about what kind of water you drink, without sliding into panic or conspiracy talk. For those in addiction recovery or those counselling others, the episode ties these odd news stories to core Christian themes. Mark reads from Genesis 1, reminds you that God created a good world now marred by human sin, and clearly states that addiction is sin that wrecks lives and communities.
Yet he doesn’t end on despair: "Bottom line for us is God is on the throne and we can trust him. He'll take care of you." If you’re interested in a faith-based perspective on addiction that mixes Bible teaching, current news, and a bit of wry humour, this bite-sized episode gives you something to think about next time you pour a glass of water.
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