Seizures of homegrown meth labs fell 58 percent last year, and anti-drug officials credit recent crackdowns on cold medicines and other chemicals used to make the drug, USA Today reported July 2.

"This is one time where the laws worked, and they worked quickly," said Drug Enforcement Administration Senior Special Agent Philippa LeVine.

In 2003, drug agents seized 17,356 small meth labs nationally; in 2006, seizures totaled 7,347.

However, both meth use and prices have remained fairly constant, with superlabs in Mexico quickly moving to fill any supply shortages caused by crackdowns on U.S.-based operations. The DEA said that up to 90 percent of the meth used in the U.S. is from international suppliers. "We know that meth is coming from Mexico in significant amounts," Payne said.

Still, the crackdown has had significant secondary benefits for local communities, said drug czar John Walters. "These were toxic sites that exposed children, first responders, neighbors who weren't even aware this was going on," he said.