ST. LOUIS - Breaking Bad may have been one of the most popular cable shows of the last decade, but do figures depicting the show's meth-making characters belong on toy store shelves? That's the question parents are asking after NewsChannel 5 found them in two St. Louis-area Toys 'R Us stores.
The toys feature characters Walter White, a former high school chemistry teacher turned meth dealer, and his assistant, high school dropout Jesse Pinkman. Both are wearing hazmat suits and come with gas masks. White's figure includes beakers and Pinkman's includes a tray with fake crystal meth.
"I don't think it's appropriate for a young child to have anything that's drug-related," said Cathy Levy, a mother of four. "And if there's fake drugs in here, I don't think that's appropriate."
The toy chain told NBC News in a statement, "The product packaging clearly notes that the items are intended for ages 15 and up" and "are located in the adult action figure area of our stores."
But in both stores NewsChannel 5 checked, the figures were within easy reach of kids toys like Ninja Turtles and G.I. Joe.
A spokesman for the St. Louis-area branch of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse says that can send a dangerous message.
"We're always working hard to try and teach kids the dangers of drug use," said spokesman Dan Duncan. "What we don't need are counter things that are potentially, at least, giving a message that drug use is a normal thing."
But what about the message that other toys send by including weapons?
"Those are, yeah, promoting a certain level of violence. But it's vastly different," said Steven Barwick, a father.
"I grew up with G.I. Joes and that was fun, it was fun for the kids. But Breaking Bad, that's a whole different age group," said father Michael Woods. "Maybe put it in a different store. But Toys 'R Us for the little ones, no."
There is certainly a market for the figures among collectors. But the parents NewsChannel 5 spoke with felt collectors probably wouldn't shop at Toy 'R Us.
A Florida mom has started a petition to remove the figures from Toys 'R Us (http://www.change.org/p/toys-r-us-remove-breaking-bad-dolls-from-their-shelves). Since Early October it's already received more than 3,000 signatures.
NewsChannel 5 did some checking and has learned Target stores do not carry the figures. Walmart sells the figures online.
