PEZ candy was created to help people quit smoking.

Summary: Long before doctors warned us about the dangers of cigarettes, PEZ candy was actually created to help people stop smoking. In 1927, an Austrian businessman named Eduard Haas III invented peppermint drops as a fresh, healthy alternative to toxic tobacco smoke. The name "PEZ" even comes from the German word for peppermint, "pfefferminz." The famous dispensers were designed by an engineer to work just like cigarette lighters, making it easier for smokers to replace their hand-to-mouth nicotine habits with a simple mint.

However, when PEZ came to America in the 1950s, adults were not ready to give up their smoking habits. To stay in business, the company completely changed its strategy. They replaced the strong mints with sweet fruit flavors and added fun character heads, like Santa Claus and Popeye, to the dispensers to attract kids. Today, PEZ is a beloved childhood treat around the world, though some early flavors—like the bizarre chlorophyll flavor—have thankfully been left in the past!

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