Tums
 | |
| Product type | Antacid |
|---|---|
| Owner | Haleon |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1930 |
| Previous owners |
|
| Website | www |
Tums(stylized asTUMS) is anantacidmade ofsucrose(table sugar) andcalcium carbonate(CaCO3) manufactured byHaleoninSt. Louis,Missouri,US. They are also available in a sugar-free version. It is anover-the-counter drug,available at many retail stores, including drug stores, grocery stores and mass merchandisers. It provides relief fromheartburnandindigestion( "sour stomach" ).
History
[edit]In 1928, James Harvey "Jim" Howe (born 1873College Corner, Ohio,and died 1960Webster Groves, Missouri), a pharmacist in St. Louis, Missouri, developed Tums in the basement of his home while treating his wife's indigestion. The remedy caught on, and commercial production began in 1930 by the Lewis-Howe Company, which took its name from Howe and his uncle, A. H. Lewis, who was a pharmacist inBolivar, Missouri;Howe worked in his uncle's drugstore as a teenager.[citation needed]Tums were named in 1930 after a radio contest, which was won by a nurse who came up with the phrase "Tums for the Tummy."[1]
In 1978 the company was purchased byRevlonof New York, making it no longer a St. Louis–based company. Revlon'sNorcliff Thayerunit oversaw the Tums brand. Revlon spun Norcliff Thayer off to the BritishBeecham Groupin 1986, and Beecham eventually becameGlaxoSmithKlinethrough a series of mergers.
Since 1930, a plant originally built by Lewis-Howe in downtown St. Louis has been making the antacid tablets.[2]The factory complex remains the main manufacturing site for Tums, and GlaxoSmithKline completed millions of dollars' worth of renovations and modernizations during the 2000s decade.[3][4]
Medical uses
[edit]Since Tums is anover-the-counter drug,it is not considered a pharmaceutical-grade treatment (does not require a prescription). Prescription strength acid reflux medications often containproton-pump inhibitors(PPI) orhistamine H2receptor blockers(H2blockers, H2antagonists).[5]
Advertising
[edit]Famous advertising campaigns for Tums have included "Tums for the Tummy" and, much later fortelevisionin the 1970s, "Mother Tums" ( "There, there!" ), and since 1981, abarbershopjinglesung to thetheme musicused in all versions of the TV crime drama seriesDragnet.[6]
Varieties
[edit]Tums comes in chewable tablets that are taken orally. It is also available in different flavors such as peppermint and fruit flavors such as berry, orange, and cherry.[7]
References
[edit]- ^Thomaselli, Rich (29 March 2010)."Tums Brand, Like Acid Indigestion, Is Timeless".Ad Age.Retrieved4 November2021.
- ^St. Louis Sage (15 November 2018)."How long have Tums been churned out in that big, old factory by the ballpark?".St. Louis Magazine.Retrieved26 February2023.
- ^Brown, Lisa (September 5, 2010)."Tums still rolling after 80 years".stltoday.Retrieved9 November2013.
- ^Latzke, Jeff (January 1, 2004)."Tums give 75 years of relief".enquirer.The Cincinnati EnquirerviaAssociated Press.Retrieved9 November2013.[dead link]
- ^What are the effects of long-term use of acid reflux medications?Rabin, Roni (15 October 2015)."Taking Heartburn Drugs Long-Term".New York Times.Retrieved2 April2019.
- ^Brunsdale, Mitzi (2010-07-26).Icons of Mystery and Crime Detection.ABC-CLIO. p. 250.ISBN9780313345302.Retrieved2014-07-10.
- ^"TUMS ULTRA- calcium carbonate tablet, chewable".nih.gov.National Library of MedicineatNIH.December 12, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 28,2020.
External links
[edit]
| Brands | |
|---|---|
| People |
|
| Related | |
