You're joking, right?? Do these activists not have anything more important to worry about? How about lead in toys? Come on!!! What a freakin' joke!!!!

Another bonehead idea that was spawned by the bottom line.Hershey has brown on its face and it a'nt chocolate.

It's organizations like Watchful Eye that need to mind their own business and get a real job. Many of us are just plain tired of these groups trying to tell us this and tell us that. They are probably the same "Hippies" and "Yuppies", or whatever trying to feel better for their past sins. They need to listen to Bucky Covinton's lyrics of "A Different World" and just stop trying to tell us Americans what is right or what is wrong for us. Bunch of Fricken nuts! Get a real job folks...........

Well Hershey's sales are down, maybe
they are thinking of getting into a
new product line

Albeit, this is about as LOW LIFE a move as can be made by the industry, it is none the less CANDY. Like a toy gun, it can pose as dangerous, if not a deceptive form of packaging that could bring trouble to your space. Some kids are likely to try it as a form of flirting with drug use... but most probably would eat it. It is the INTENT of the distributer that I question.

Is this the same thing as when McDonalds had to quit using their coffee stirrers because people*might*snort coke from them?Definitly not advocating cocaine,just common sense.You canot ban a product simply because a subversive element might use it for something other than it's purpose.I can see if a child were in the vicinity of crack& this mint at the same time,but then,what is the kid doing around crack to begin with?*shakes my head and backs outta the room*

Uhh, what? Are they serious? If they start confiscating candy and testing it for drugs it's because they're stupid and want to be sued, that's all. I'm seriously mesmerized that people are upset over something so stupid.

Are you kidding me with this? Like your average street dealer is going to take the time and expense to perfectly seal coke in little tiny blue packets and distribute it? and if a kid is stupid enough to not know what he's putting in his mouth, then it's not going to matter what the drug looks like, his "friend" will slip it to him no matter what. blaming Hershey's for the country's inability to curb the drug problem in this country is laughable.

More police and media-driven paranoia. File alongside razor blades in apples and the LSD tattoo.

I'm still upset they got rid of candy Cigs.

I think this is a corporate 'blunder' much worse than Spirit Airline's "MILF" campaign. Here in Philadelphia, our police and DA's office have been complaining to Hershey (located not far from us) for several weeks. We've been getting the same "not our responsibility" reply from the company. Thanks for bringing this awareness to a national scale. This is completely irresponsible of Hershey.

Kiss goodbye to Big League Chew, Candy cigarettes, and childhood.

Well, If that's such a big deal to so many, wouldn't pixy stix be an issue too? You don't hear anything of that..Isn't it just as bad?

So change the texture and/or packaging of the candy, simple as that...If it's going to be a problem.

Plus, There are many other powdered things like, for say, sugars. So, those look like cocaine too. What's to be done. Should anything really be done at all?

Well, the DEA goons already raided a factory producing marijuana-laced candy bars for cancer patients. Hershey better reinforce the doors and get some pit-bulls.. the Feds are coming. BTW, before sending these stupid, packets of candy to an expensive lab for testing, perhaps one of the police officers could dip his finger in and taste it. If it tastes like candy and disolves, it's not cocaine. Why wasn't there this type of uproar over Pixie-sticks... looks like cocaine already in a handy straw!

I don't know what legal matters you would have to go through before doing this, but you could try it. Everyone who has come in contact with cocaine knows that one thing it does is make your tongue numb wherever it hits it. Police officers could request a taste. if refused, take them in. Otherwise, children and teenager are very attune to what is right and what is wrong in a cop's eyes, so if you are approaching and they do not hide it, that is a sign that it is candy. Just a thought

What are they talking about wasting law enforcement resources? What drug testing? All a cop has to do is lightly lick the tip of his pinky finger, touch the powder and taste. Sweet=mint, Sour=Cocaine. Voila!! The drug test was just performed in 2 seconds for free.

Oh - right - drug dealers will make "their packaging ... look like commercial packaging almost exactly". So, why have they not made it look like regular Hershey bars before? Or Three Musketeers? Or those silly little candy suckers that look like a binky? Say... they could make it look like TicTac! Or Binaca!

This simply Marketing at it's worst. What are they thinking. oh yeah Make a Quick Buck!!... it went from gum cigarettes to chews and now Powder.

RW.....kids are likely to try this CANDY as a way of flirting with drug use? You voted for Bush didn't you?

My kid hooked on MINT!!!! No seriously this is kind of messed up. I used to do paid surveys for marketing firms (like Peters Marketing for example) for "Ice Breakers" "Mint a Burst" etc etc and some other candies and the packaging does not surprise me. They do do this crap intentionally. During marketing surveys they will hand out packaging for candies and ask which is more appealing. They also make you sit thru commericals and ask you what you think of them. Kids liked candy cigarettes so candy drugs was only a matter of time.

Drizzy you brought tears to my eyes. I also miss the candy cigarettes, I think that's why I have been smoking the real kind for the last 40 years. I also drink because I use to pretend that when my mother gave me Kool-Aid I was sipping Scotch. God I miss the good ole days.

Real police officers dont taste drugs! You have been watching too much TV. Also the candy is shaped like little mints that look like pills not powdered cocaine or crack rocks!

What about breath mint "tissues" that dissolve on your tongue? Find something to complain about, will ya?

OK those people just need to mind their own buisness ok

What about BC Powder and Goody's headache remedies? This is ridiculous. Baking powder, baking soda, flour, cornstarch. The dumbness...

Does anyone think about all of the other candies that look like "drugs" the little red hots that are similar to sudafed... among others. Keep an eye on your kids!

I have never heard of a coke head putting a package of coke in thier mouth and eating it. (well maybe some that where being chased by gentlemen with blue flashing lights.)

is this out in stores now? seriously, goodbye childhood.

We have enough drug problems in this world without having candy resemble packets of cocaine....Hershey knows better then this!! Whats next heroin Popsicles.....

Give it a real test, see if Lindsey Lohan tries to snort the candy

As a drug chemist... I know that drug dealers are putting drugs in. And NO this idea is not far fetched to be thought of as drugs. As soon as I saw the picture I couldn't believe that the baggies contained mints. Drug dealers are very smart and are very inventive when it comes to selling the drugs.

I think this is overreacting a tad. C'mon...is Hershey selling the breath mints as a powder in a little clear vile with a razor blade? Or in a hypodermic needle with a length of rubber tubing? If so, then I could see the objection, but they look like mints to me. TicTacs have been around for years and they look just like pills, don't they?

This is such a poorly written story... I don't get it... What is it about this candy that makes it look like drugs? Is it a powder within packaging or what?

So who wants to eat packaging anyway??? Too many toxins in the stuff for me.

For those of us not living in the world of drug dealers and young at risk kids, this seems trivial. However, it doesn't take a high level of imagination to realize that Hershey's made a blunder here -- it truly does resemble a packet of cocaine, and the drug industry can facilitate any packaging they choose. My hope is that Hershey's will quickly take the high road on this and pull it.

Why stop there, ban parsley and oregeno, they look like pot. Change the name of Coke. Those epoxy containers look a lot like syringes. Remove mushrooms from the salad bar. How about cantelopes, they might make some kid think of womens breasts. I'm not going to mention what bananas and cucumbers look like. What about Tootsie Rolls? They look like something excreted from the rear! Heck, lets just ban everything

Makes me want to buy some right away !

Anyone else remember a story a few years (I think years??) back about a lady that brought a condom filled with flower on an airplane? Of course airport security called the police and their field test showed that it was drugs. The police arrested her and put her in jail till they could do a more conclusive test in a lab. If I remember right she was in jail for at least a week cause their lab was backed up or something. She tried to tell them over and over that it was only flower but they wouldn't listen or rush the test. I believe the police latter admitted that the field test was known to show false-positives on some items like flower. Admittedly, it probably wasn’t the best idea to bring something so closely resembling drugs through airport security but I’m sure the fact that it resembled drugs never crossed her mind. The point of my story is that I hope nothing like that happens over these little packets of candy. It probably will though.

Big industry like Hershey has a responsibility to protect it's clients, Namely children. I will not be buying Hershey's products until they do away with this product. As someone who works drug prevention for students I see many harmful effects. When students see these as "cool" they are much more likely to use the other "cool" product that drug dealers and their peers are trying to convince them to use. A very bad marketing choice by Hersheys.

i love the article it is the best thing i ever found in my life!i love the way you talk about the candy.u r the best news reporters ever

Simple test....Send a kilo over to the White house

These don't even look remotely like cocaine to me. Talk about much ado about nothing.

Simple test: A drop of water. These mints are designed for their packet to disolve instantly in water. No coke dealer would EVER package their product in a water disolving wrapper that would disintegrate in the wet clammy hands of their buyers. Geez.

People who think it's funny and that some people should get a job, well obviously you don't have a child in school these days. What if someone ask "YOUR" child if he wanted some CANDY and it's drug? What if they asked him because they don't like him and they want to make a joke? I think it's a good idea for Hershey to take this off the market and make a mint that looks like a mint. That's the kind of world we live in now, it's time to accept it.

"Knowing that drug dealers are extremely enterprising entrepreneurs, their packaging will begin to look like commercial packaging almost exactly"

How is this the company's fault?

Americans need to start worrying about REAL problems. At least their children are generally safe from car bombs, genocide, starvation, missiles, etc, etc, etc...

Let me statt by saying everyone is entitled to their opinions. I am a single mother of two boys (12,3) and I am also a prevention specialist. I try to keep kids off of drugs and I also pay attention to how products are marketed to our children. The Icebreakers Pacs are no different than the root beer that comes in a bottle shaped like a beer bottle, the big league chew gum, the energy drinks with or without alcohol, and the countless other items that are presented to look like things kids aren't supposed to have. Yes, I know that if you educate the youth they stand a better chance of never becoming an addict or alcoholic, however the industry makes everything look good to them. I believe that they (whoever they are) are desensityzing our youth. IT makes it ok to use drugs or get so drunk that you forget you have kids at home or you don't realize you just hit a minivan with a family of seven and killed them all. Our youth face many hardships in the world today they don't the marketing firms or big companies selling them drugs and alcohol let them be kids. Hersheys messed up with this one and I am boycotting their product Not because I think a child is going to confuse the pouch with a pouch that contains drugs (heroin, speed, and coke are all sold like this) I AM BOYCOTTING BECAUSE I AM TIRED OF MY KIDS GETTING TOLD IT IS OK TO USE DRUGS THAT YOU ARE COOL IF YOU DO!!!

THE US GOV IT RIDICULOUS AND THE LAW INFORCEMENT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE SERIOUS CRIMES,LIKE MURDER, RAP ETC. THAT'S ALREADY BACKED UP IN THE CRIME OTHER THEN TRYING TO BACK IT UP EVEN FUTHER WITH THIS CANDY THEME. PEOPLE NEED TO GET THEIR PRIORITIES STRIAGHT.

what makes me wonder about this is the fact that drug dealers wouldn't waste their time swapping coke or anything with a consumer product...they wouldn't profit. Now if there was a curious kid that wondered what it would be like to snort it then they would get a pretty big surprise on how bad their nasal passages would burn. I could understand if there was suspicious activity going on that involved this product, but until then its just another idea to make a profit, something that was probably thought up by someone who came up with these new upcoming reality tv shows...unoriginal and yet people will still give in.

Are you serious? That was the most idiotic thing I've ever heard, "Knowing that drug dealers are extremely enterprising entrepreneurs, their packaging will begin to look like commercial packaging almost exactly," Give me a break and then tell me why our prisons are filled up with all these "entrepreneurs?"

This is an utter waste of time.
The idea that a mainstream company is somehow endorsing illicit drug use by producing mints in a plastic package??? WTH???
To the safety police who think this is a real and eminent danger... who are you allowing your children to hang out with?
Another question, why would a drug dealer give a box of this stuff to a child.
Nothing about any of this follows any kind of logic.
Use that activist energy on something that actually matters, and preferably about something you can actually change.
I'm only going to buy candies packaged in this way just to cancel out at least one boycotter.

for those of you that "just don't get it" A product that has green lighted and produced By Hershey's is a product that a DRUG DEALER will be able to DUPLICATE just like they did with "ROCK CANDY" for those of you that didn't read or see the news on "ROCK CANDY" let me help you, Elementary school kids were receiving bags of 'ROCK CANDY' AND BEHOLD IT WAS DRUGS, BUT BECAUSE KIDS DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE, THEY WENT WITH "HEY, FREE ROCK CANDY".
DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW WHY THERE IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH ICE BREAKERS PACS? JUST LIKE BAD PEOPLE STILL COUNTERFEIT BILLS, THERE ARE BAD PEOPLE THAT WILL TAKE THE DRUG MARKET A STEP FURTHER AND DUPLICATE THE PACS AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO SAY IT LOOKS COOL AND ITS ONLY FUN! I AM SURE YOU HAVE NO SON(S) OR DAUGHTER(S)!

Who ARE these buffoons that think everything we eat, drink, smoke, taste or inhale must be first made "kiddie friendly"? Keep your kids under control and don't screw with my life because you're a lousy parent and expect the government to watch your ki for you.

This is absolutly ridiculous. If you are seriously 'outraged' by something this small, get a life. It's just candy. A different way of making a mint than the other companies. If hershey was calling it something that had to do with drugs then they would be at fault. All this is now is people trying to get attention, start drama and blow things way out of proportion. If you don't like the candy in your kids hands then keep it away from them or better yet find a better way of parenting because apparently you aren't doing a good enough job if you think your kid will start doing drugs or snorting this stuff because of candy. Find something else to do with your low-life instead of attempting to bring down a company because you need to make yourself feel better.

Hey! Guess what! I no longer use drugs, but I used to... a LONG time ago, and I'm here to tell you... coke and crack DO come packaged in those tiny little blue bags! You can buy them from the dude on the corner! I don't think that Hersheys has any ill-intent, but I do think they should give this one up! If my kid came home with it, I would freak out!