5 Comments

This was the first Curious Minds to arrive in my inbox and I loved this article. In fact, it started a pub conversation that evening. Among our unscientific sample of middle-aged British men, we all remembered enjoying "sweet cigarettes" and pretending to light them and inhale, but none of us went on to become smokers.

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Thank you so much, Darren! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the story - and that it sparked discussion. Each week my aim is to share a story that gives you something to think about.

And some of them may even help you win a pub quiz!

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This made me laugh out loud on a very busy train into London! Reminded me of something I LOVED here in the UK in the 1970s - the child’s version of chewing tobacco made from coconut - Spanish Gold - man, I loved it 😍

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Spanish Gold? Where can I find this treasure?

We had Big League Chew when I was a kid - shredded bubble gum to resemble chewing tobacco. But I was too young to know what it was resembling - or know that ballplayers sat in the dugout chewing tobacco. It was just bubblegum in a different format. I tried it - but like candy cigarettes, it just didn't stick. (No pun intended).

Thanks for reading, Jenny!

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Such a weird concept to sell such a thing to kids, but as someone who loves coconut, I loved Spanish Gold. I could just picture you shocking your kids by pretending to smoke one of those candy sticks!

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