Beginning next month, Wrigley gum is going to begin selling caffeinated gum. The company is well known for selling mints, gum, lollipops, hard and chewy candies. A couple of world known Wrigley brands include: Orbit, Doublemint, Skittles, Starburst and Altoids.

According to the company website, they operate in more than 40 countries and distribute in more than 180 countries, Wrigley's brands bring smiles to faces around the globe. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, employs approximately 17,000 associates globally.

The brand new gum will be called Alert. Each piece will contain the amount of caffeine in half a cup of coffee. It will also have a warning label to avoid children from chewing it along with those that are sensitive to caffeine, reports MSN Money. Each package will contain 8 pieces of chewing gum and will cost $3. The gum company is hoping this will increase their sales; this year they experienced a 2.7% decrease in their annual revenue.

The company is trying to aim the new product at adults. They are also pushing stores to place it on the shelves next to energy drinks rather than next to the gum.

The new idea appears to be quite convenient. Some adults need an extra boost during the day, and a $3 pack of gum will be less costly than going to a local Starbucks or coffee shop. Wrigley is not the first company to release a caffeinated gum. Jolt is a gum company that offers consumers gum that contains caffeine, Ginseng and Guarana. Two pieces of chewing gum is equivalent to one cup of coffee. On their website they explain how it only takes about 5 minutes for the gum to begin working because the caffeine absorbs into the tongue and then quickly enters the blood stream. The gum is sold online and can be purchased in stores such as GNC, Speedway, Sheetz and Jewel.

Caffeinated gum will be a consumer friendly way to obtain a boost of energy throughout the day. It is more efficient than purchasing an energy drink. Most energy drinks costs at least $1.50 and contain large amounts of sugar.