At some point, adults began feeling that the fun-natured frolicking of college students was not really all that funny. Many towns passed ordinances making it illegal and a Massachusetts State Senator presented a bill which attempted to protect the fish from "cruel and wanton consumption." Universities threatened to suspend or expel participants for "conduct unbecoming a student" and the U.S. Public Health service warned that ingesting live goldfish could result in the swallower contracting anemia through tapeworms living in the fish. Finally a professor at U.C.L.A. concluded that an adult male could safely consume up to 150 fish, but warned against exceeding that amount.

At its height, goldfish swallowing was all the rage with the record allegedly exceeding 300 fish swallowed in one sitting. Unfortunately, the fad quickly passed as the students left their campuses and returned home for summer vacation.