Final answer:
The number of small lab methamphetamine seizures decreased between 2004 and 2007, but domestic production increased in 2008. This shift is part of a larger trend of opioid abuse and an increase in drug overdoses due to the scarcity of prescription pain pills and the rise of cheaper alternatives like heroin and synthetic opioids.
Step-by-step explanation:
Between 2004 and 2007, the number of small lab methamphetamine seizures decreased, while domestic production of methamphetamine saw an increase in 2008. This trend coincides with a broader context of substance abuse in the United States, where aggressive policing of pill mills and the reformulation of Oxycodone have led to a scarcity and higher street prices of prescription pain pills.
The shortage prompted those addicted to pain medication to seek out cheaper and more lethal alternatives, such as heroin, Fentanyl, and other synthetic opioids produced by crime syndicates. Subsequently, the increase in drug overdoses from opioids is significant, climbing from about 6 per 100,000 people in 1999 to over 21 per 100,000 in 2017. Furthermore, since 1999, heroin-related deaths have surged by 439 percent by 2014, while cocaine-related deaths have increased only slightly but still remain a smaller proportion of all drug-related deaths. These trends are alarming and reflect a shift in substance abuse patterns in the country, amid slow legislative responses.