Wrigley's Alert Energy Caffeine Chewing Gum, Holds half the Caffeine of a Cup of Coffee

Most of us are satisfied with drinking caffeine, but Wrigley had to take it a step further.

Next month, they'll be introducing caffeinated gum that will have the equivalent of about half a cup of coffee.

Alert Energy Caffeine Chewing Gum, Wrigley's effort to tap into the growing market for energy drinks, will be sold in convenience stores and food and drug retailers. It's not the first caffeinated chewing gum, but it'll be the first with Wrigley's brand and marketing strength behind it. No other caffeine gum has wide distribution.

The sugar free gum comes in packs of eight and is available in fruit and mint flavors. At $2.99, it's pricier than most gums, but cheaper than an energy drink or Starbucks coffee.

Energy drinks have become a much hotter product than chewing gum. According to Euromonitor International, a global market research firm, U.S. gum sales are down 3.8 percent since 2008, while sales of energy drinks are up 41 percent during the same period. Wrigley's sales make up more than half the gum market, according to Euromonitor.

"Wrigley is focused on restoring gum category health, and that means creating functional and 'occasion-based' reasons to chew, bringing relevance back to gum," said a statement from the company. Wrigley is a unit of candy company Mars, the nation's third largest privately held company.

The company stressed that it will be marketing to product to those over 25, and it is not for children.

Roland Griffins, a professor at Johns Hopkins medical school who has done research on the impact of energy drinks, said there is reason to be concerned about children having easier access to caffeine.

"It doesn't seem like a good idea," he said. "To the extent that this makes caffeine more readily available to children, it's a potential concern."