I’m addicted to sniffing tuna and drinking the juice straight from the can – it may look weird to other people but I’m fine with it

An American man has admitted to being so addicted to smelling, eating and sipping cans of tuna that he consumes as many as 15 cans a week.

‘Tuna’ Tyler, from Lawrence, Kansas, appeared on an episode of My Strange Addiction: Still Addicted? on TLC to talk about his fixation on the canned fish.

A clip, uploaded to TLCs YouTube channel, explored Tyler’s addiction and documented how and why he prioritizes canned food in his daily life.

According to the tuna lover, he has preferred fish to other foods since childhood – he even asked for cans of tuna as Easter and Christmas gifts instead of toys and chocolate.

To describe why he has a special love for tuna, he mentioned its “smell, texture, sweetness, wetness and dryness.”

The three minute video begins with a montage of farm photos from Tyler’s hometown of Lawrence before introducing himself.

My name is Tyler, I’m from Lawrence, Kansas, which is the middle of nowhere. It’s farms and country things. It’s very, very quiet – life in Lawrence is very boring,” he says.

The scene then cuts to Tyler sitting in a quiet coffee shop, with a waitress serving him a hot drink.

But instead of taking a sip of his freshly made drink, Tyler pulls a small can of tuna from his pocket, opens it, and inhales deeply while closing his eyes.

The waitress stands awkwardly to the side and looks at him confused, until he opens his eyes and nods in satisfaction and says, ‘Yes. Nice way to start the day.’

During his piece-to-camera, Tyler describes himself as a “big fish in a small can.”

He continues, “They call me Tuna Tyler and I’m addicted to smelling tuna. When people see me sniffing tuna in public, they might know it’s a little different.

“It might look weird to other people, but it’s fine with me.”

Tyler has been addicted to smelling and sipping canned tuna for five years – he’s gone through about 4,000 cans in that time

Alluding to his 24-hour habit, Tyler says, “I love smelling tuna every day, all the time, all night, every day, every day.”

The tuna enthusiast then admits that there is another shocking element to his addiction that can turn even the strongest of stomachs.

He says, “Not only do I like the smell of tuna, but I definitely like to drink a little bit of the juice from the can.

‘What I love about the smell of tuna is definitely the fish, the light aroma with a little bit of sweetness. But what I love about the taste is the texture of it. I don’t think it’s too wet, but not too, too dry either.’

The program reports that Tyler has been addicted to sniffing and sipping canned tuna for five years.

He uses 15 cans a week, which equates to about 780 a year, with an estimated 4,000 cans consumed during the period of his addiction.

Tyler rummages through his kitchen to reveal exactly how much tuna he has in the cupboards. He makes dozens of cans of different brands and flavors.

Describing his collection, he says, “I have a piece of light. I don’t really like albacore tuna, but I have seared tuna. All tuna will never, ever be created equal.’

Tyler then admits that he prefers canned tuna with oil standing on top of the water, as it allows the fish to “stay in between” dry and mushy.

He then goes on to describe why he likes to eat tuna with his bare hands – despite it getting messy.

According to Tyler, “I don’t mind the juices running down my chin. I really like it myself, because it makes me feel dirty.’

Tyler’s mother, Ursula, also appears, explaining to her how son’s fondness for fish became an outright addiction over the years.

She says, “When he was little, and most kids wanted chocolate in their basket for Easter, we put tuna and sardines because he liked it.

Tyler tells the show how he loved fish even as a kid – he even asked for tuna as a birthday, Christmas and Easter gift instead of traditional presents

“But I didn’t think it would turn into where he smelled it and was addicted to tuna.”

Tyler confirms his mother’s version of events: “Some kids get candy canes and I’d get cans of tuna.” It was a luxurious kibble to tuck into a stocking.’

Tyler’s fascination with fish may not harm anyone else, but experts say he could be harming himself by eating 15 cans of tuna a week.

Tuna contains Omega-3, iodine and other beneficial nutrients, but it is also high in mercury.

ABC program Catalyst revealed in 2022 that eating more than 25 to 35 cans of tuna a week could pose a risk of mercury poisoning.