MCLEAN, Va. – Snacking all day and spicy foods have triggered a corresponding bump in the sale of breath mints, the Wall Street Journal reports. In turn, candymakers have designed packaging for sharing breath fresheners.  “You connect with someone else by offering something small,” said Jeff Wurtzel, a marketing brand director for Mars Wrigley Confectionery.

In the United States, sales of mints jumped 26% between 2012 and 2017 to reach $1.5 billion, according to Euromonitor International. The research firm pointed to an increasing appetite for spicy foods and snacking around the clock as boosting opportunities for mints.

Wrigley’s promotes sharing in its recent Extra gum campaigns, and will debut Extra Chewy Mints in packaging that makes sharing easy. Simply Gum, which uses all natural ingredients, launched Mints by Simply Gum earlier this year via social media marketing. Fans were encouraged to tag friends with #complimint, and the company gave away free mints. “We’re all about creating a fun moment for people,” said Adeena Cohen, the director of marketing and business development at Simply Gum.

Tic Tac also uses mints as a “social spark,” said Todd Midura, vice president of marketing at Tic Tac North America. Clear packaging and a top opening facilitates sharing.

Of course, sharing with others depletes the product faster too, ginning up more business for mint makers. “If you’ve got people sharing, it adds more occasions,” Midura said. “Before you know it, you pass around that pack and it’s empty.”