Since its premiere in 2008 "Breaking Bad" has brought the seedy world of crystal meth into America's homes on Sunday evenings. As the show is preparing to air its final eight episodes studies show that the actual use of meth has slightly declined while enforcement has improved, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that they have seized a much large quantity of the drug than they had in previous years. In 2008 roughly 2,200 kilograms of meth were seized by law enforcement in the Southwest region, the area depicted in "Breaking Bad." In 2012 that number had increased to around 10,100 kilograms, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In 2011, the most recent year data is available for from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, around 400,000 people over the age of 12 used methamphetamine. That number represents a major drop from the 700,000 people who used meth between the years of 2002 and 2006, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The increase in the amount of drugs seized could normally be explained by a larger number of users but that flies against the numbers presented by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. More than likely better enforcement is responsible for the increase in seizures.
Rusty Payne, a spokesman for the DEA, spoke with the Wall Street Journal and said that one troubling statistic is that the people who make meth are getting better at it while the price of meth has plummeted.
Of course, "Breaking Bad," as popular as it may be, is just a television program and more than likely had no effect whatsoever on these numbers. It is just interesting to see that while meth is going through a boom market in the fictional version of New Mexico created by Vince Gilligan it is in a bust market in the real world.
"Breaking Bad" will air the first of its final eight episodes this Sunday at 9/8 central on AMC.
