Does chewing lead to drinking?

There is no truth to the supposition that squeezing the juice out of a piece of Orbit Mint Mojito chewing gum will result in a cocktail.

However, at least one alcohol watchdog group predicts exposing children to the new flavor might well lead them to trying the popular cocktail before they are of legal drinking age.

"It's something I'd call mildly reprehensible, and it'll almost certainly lead to others going further," said a spokesman for the Marin Institute. "It's sad they need to name it like an alcoholic beverage to sell it."

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., which owns Orbit, said in a rebuttal statement that mojito flavor has transcended alcohol and become a wider phenomenon, used in sauces, salsas, marinades and even scented candles. It compared the mojito to the piña colada, which is used in gum, candy bars and jelly beans by Wrigley competitors Trident, Carefree, Hershey and Jelly Belly. The latter, by the way, also offers a margarita flavor.

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