I don’t know about Europe, but in North America there’s been a giant push by government on both the federal and province/state level to curb smoking. In Japan there are quite a few signs and anti-smoking sites and things but nothing in my estimation that even compares.

But whatever anti-smoking campaigns there are, they don’t seem to be affecting Japan Tobacco Inc. who on Friday reported huge profits at the end of their fiscal year. How much you ask? Here is what the Associated Press are reporting:

Net profits rose by 4.6 percent to an all-time high of 210.7 billion yen (1.77 billion dollars) in the fiscal year to March on revenue of 4.77 trillion yen, up 2.8 percent, the company said in a statement.

Operating profit jumped by 8.2 percent to 331.9 billion yen, also a record.

Japan Tobacco Inc, which recently bought British rival Gallaher Group for 2.25 trillion yen, said that overseas sales remained the main driver of profit growth, with revenue outside Japan up 13.4 percent.

The article mentions that places where the company saw some of its highest growth were The group saw strong sales of Camel in Italy and France, Winston in Russia, Spain, Iran, Turkey, and Ukraine, and Russia. It’s good to know that with all the things people fight about and kill each other over, at least they can all agree that people seem to love smoking.