Wrigley to Debut Caffeinated Chewing Gum

Energy drinks are old news, friend; the folks of tomorrow will be chewing on energy gum. Or at least, Wrigley hopes so. Next month, the company will begin selling Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, the Wall Street Journal reports. The packaging boasts that every hexagon-shaped piece of Alert contains about half as much caffeine as a cup of coffee—according to a Journal infographic, it will have 40mg of the stuff, compared to 35mg in a 12-ounce Coke.

That might not sound like an earth-shattering amount of pep, but Wrigley is sensitive to the health concerns and criticisms swirling around the booming energy drink industry. They say that's why they created a new brand for the gum rather than associating it with one of their existing, potentially kid-beloved lines. Wrigley also says it is marketing the gum to adults age 25 or older, and have put a warning label on the packages saying they are "not recommended for children or persons sensitive to caffeine." (More energy drink stories.)