DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR BUZZ

CHICAGO (AP) -- Here's a new one to chew on: Caffeine-laced gum.

Amurol Confections Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., is
getting ready to launch Stay Alert, a new gum where two sticks are the
equivalent of one to two cups of coffee.

Hoping to cash in on American's love of caffeine, the company has been
quietly testing the gum in Walgreen Co. drugstores and plans to unveil the
finished product to the trade at next week's All Candy Expo trade show in
Chicago. Consumer should expect to see Stay Alert, which costs 89 cents for
five sticks, in stores across the nation by late summer.

``It's not just a gum, it's a unique gum that does something for you,'' said
A.G. Atwater, chief executive of Amurol.

But the gum has a bitter taste that comes after the first few chews,
although company executives note testing found the taste is an acquired one,
similar to first drinkers of coffee.

The packaging for Stay Alert caffeine supplement gum suggests taking two
sticks, together containing 100 milligrams of caffeine. Consumers are warned
not to exceed four sticks, which come in mint and cinnamon flavors, every
three to four hours.

By comparison, a cup of coffee can have anywhere from 40 to 215 milligrams
of caffeine depending on the brewing techniques, while a 12-ounce can of
Mountain Dew has 54 milligrams. Over-the-counter medication Vivarin has 200
milligrams and No Doz has 100 milligrams of caffeine.

The move represents a change for Wrigley, the maker of Juicy Fruit and
Doublemint, as it struggles with flat sales in the United States. American
consumers have been shifting to breath mints and away from gum. Amurol,
based in Yorkville, Ill., is best known for children's gums such as Bubble
Tape and Big League Chew.

With Amurol's surveys finding some 36.2 million commuters, truck drivers,
college students and coffee drinkers often in need of a quick jolt to stay
awake, Wrigley hopes to recapture some of its lost sales.

Amurol also is considering gums with appetite suppressants, decongestants
and cough medicines, said Bruce Thompson, Amurol's vice president of marketing.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett