Is Fresh Breath a Crime?

Katherine Mangu-Ward | January 29, 2008

I can't imagine why law enforcement officials have asked Hershey's to stop manufacturing these innocent Ice Breakers breath fresheners. Perhaps minty freshness on the lips of their suspects would distract them from their important duties? Yes, that must be it.

Or maybe:

Members of Philadelphia's police narcotics squad said the mints closely resemble tiny heat-sealed bags used to sell powdered street drugs. They charged that the consequences could be serious if, for example, a child familiar with the mints found a package of cocaine....

Ice Breakers Pacs, which first hit store shelves in November, are nickel-sized dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside. The pouches come in blue or orange and bear the Ice Breakers logo.

There's an epidemic of edgy breath fresheners! I tracked the trouble caused by the gateway gum, mojito mint, here. And don't forget Cocaine energy drinks.