Fans visiting New Mexico hoping to immerse themselves in the world of Breaking Bad now have a new souvenir to take home, before slowly destroying that home: genuine blue methamphetamine, the sale of which federal agents say is currently on the rise in region. Imitation versions of Heisenberg’s signature Blue Sky have popped up over the years in nearby states like Missouri and Oklahoma. But the recent, rapidly increasing popularity of blue-tinted meth in the home of Breaking Bad has local authorities worried that it’s specifically being cooked up to advertise to new users who might be lured into trying it by the show’s cultural “cachet,” as so many decisions about dangerous lifestyles and narcotics are often made according to the prestige of its related pop culture. For example, Baltimore is overrun by crime and heroin, both of which were prominently featured on The Wire.
However, for those who might be intrigued to try the blue meth, based on Breaking Bad’s sexy, alluring depiction of desperate dealers and users who were always trying to kill each other, agents warn that the blue color of this particular strain isn’t the mark of purity it was on the show. Rather it’s been cut with a coloring additive that they say “makes people sick.” So, probably best to stick with the normal meth then, even if it hasn’t been on an awesome TV show.