The figures for the manufacturers, four of which now control 95 percent of the American cigarette market, are even more impressive.

The company commands only 2 percent of the domestic cigarette market, and its brands are not among those most popular with youths.

Camel's share of the $43 billion United States cigarette market has been growing in recent years.

The growth came even as the domestic cigarette market is shrinking.

Worse, those taxes have also created a cigarette black market.

Its share of the cigarette market has dropped from about 4.3 percent in the mid-1980's to 3.5 percent last year.

In the United States, menthols comprise about 30% of the total cigarette market.

In the intensely competitive cigarette market, 1 percent is considered a smash hit.

It also announced a deal to distribute its cigarettes in China, the world's biggest cigarette market.

Today, Fortune commands 67 percent of the cigarette market.