Hershey Succumbs To Drug War Insanity

An American icon, the Hershey Chocolate Company, has succumbed to what seems like an entirely insane drug warrior fantasy:

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — The Hershey Co. is halting production of Ice Breakers Pacs in response to criticism that the mints look too much like illegal street drugs, the company’s president and chief executive officer said Thursday.

Hershey (HSY, Fortune 500) CEO David J. West disclosed the decision during a conference call about the company’s newly released fourth-quarter earnings report.

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.

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.

In other words, Hershey is producing an entirely legal product that some ninny somewhere thinks looks like illegal drugs.

Yea, makes sense to me,