<P> For over two decades, Kools were the only significant menthol cigarette brand in the United States, with a market share that never got much above 2% . Their advertisements focused on "throat comfort" and the medicinal properties of menthol, and some ads even suggested occasional use: "In between the others, rest your throat with Kools ." </P> <P> R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company launched the first menthol filter - tip cigarettes in 1956 under the Salem brand . Less heavily mentholated than Kools, Salems were positioned as an all - purpose cigarette, and captured 0.8% market share within their first year . Other tobacco producers, seeing the success of Salem, soon introduced their own mentholated filter cigarettes: Lorillard with Newport in 1957 and Spring in 1959; Philip Morris with Alpine in 1959; and Brown & Williamson with Belair in 1960 . </P> <P> Menthol cigarettes are constructed similarly to non-mentholated cigarettes, with menthol added at any of several stages during the manufacturing process . Menthol may be derived from distilled corn mint oil, or produced synthetically . While trace amounts of menthol may be added to non-mentholated cigarettes for flavor or other reasons, a menthol cigarette typically has at least 0.3% menthol content by weight . Lower - tar menthol cigarettes may have menthol levels up to 2%, in order to keep menthol delivery constant despite the filtration and ventilation designs used to reduce tar . </P> <P> A recent innovation has been to include a small capsule in or near the filter which can be crushed to release additional menthol or other flavouring solutions . During the smoking of a cigarette the menthol delivery depletes noticeably, but this technology allows the smoker to increase the menthol delivery at a chosen point to sustain or enhance the menthol' feel' . The capsules can contain any flavourings but are primarily menthol . </P>

Where does the menthol in cigarettes come from
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