Power Mints Pack A Potent Punch

Power mints, those unassuming white lozenges that singe your tongue like dry ice and clear your sinuses with the woosh of an Arctic blast show no sign of slowing down in their run as one of todays hottest consumer fads.

Led by the highly visable and heavily promoted Altoids, the power-packed confections that come in a selection of distinct, decorative tins have made a significant impact in a market once dominated by TicTacs, BreathSavers, and other sweeter, but far less potent brands.

High-octane mints first hit their stride in Seattle in the early 1990s where Altoids became the must-have chic accessory among both hip twenty-somethings and dapper business-types alike.

Breaking out a snappy tin of mints to offer up the co-workers and friends became an instant attention getter, more health conscious than a post-dinner cigar and far less messy than a lint-encrusted roll of Certs culled from the bottom of a pocket or purse.

Though still a relative newcomer to the population at large, the self-styled "original celebrated curiously strong" Altoids have a long history. Created in Great Britain at the turn of the 19th century during the reign of King George III, where they were first touted as an aid in the relief of intestinal discomfort, the mint takes it's name as a deritive of the Latin alt (to change) and the Greek oids (taking the form of).

Still produced in Wales and sold in the U.S. since 1918, Altoids have become the fourth best selling mint on the market and takes a well acknowledged credit in boosting the nation's annual mint sales from $378 million in 1995 to $557 million in the most recently reported period.

Just how hot has the craze become for extreme mints? Seasoned travelers often remark about the seemingly routine questioning posed by security personnel when passengers unwittingly set off walk-through metal detectors at airports: "Keys? Coins?...Altoids? Seems the mint, readily available at terminal gift shops and newsstands, has been showing up in ever increasing numbers.

The success of the mighty mint has spawned a slew of competitors as well - Penguin Caffeinated Peppermints, sold in $3 tins through their web site as well as select upscale stores as Urban Outfitters and Linens 'n Things, pushes their mints buzz factor of 6 pieces packing the wollop of 60 milligrams of caffeine, equal to an 8-ounce cup of coffee.

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