Tobacconist

A tobacconist (verbal always Trafic, stress on the last syllable) is in Austria a point of sale for tobacco products, newspapers, magazines, stationery, postal and postcards and other small goods - in Vienna, for example, parking tickets and tickets for urban transport. Even the now repealed stamps could be sold at tobacco shops. Only a few tobacco shops sell stamps, since the Post has reduced the commissions, most act but also as Lotto and Toto collection points for which a permit is also the Monopoly necessary. A selection of tobacconists, identified as Tobacco Plus tobacconists, also also event tickets from the reservation systems of the two largest Austrian ticketing provider, Ticket Online Austria (yellow ticket) and Ö-Ticket Sale ( turquoise tickets ), as well as vouchers for, for example, the Styrian Thermal Country, dinner & Casino and Therme coupons for all of Austria.

Only tobacco shops are allowed to sell tobacco products at the regular price, and only when there is insufficient tobacconists are present in an area, get other stores have a sales permit. Since food outlets, gas stations relate tobacco to Tobacco price, these are more expensive in pubs at least 10%.

The name comes from the Italian word Trafik traffico = trade. Operator of a tobacco shop is called tobacconists / Trafikantinnen. The term can already be found in a letter from Emperor Joseph II, who in 1784 issued the tobacco monopoly. Similar facilities are available in the other successor states of Austria -Hungary ( for example, the Czech Republic trafika and Slovenia trafika ) and in Italy, where they are tabaccheria ( in South Tyrol Trafic, with accent on the second syllable ) called and, in addition to the monopoly for the sale of tobacco products a long time the had for salt.

From the beginning, war invalids, soldiers, widows and impoverished innocent officials tobacconists points were granted for their supply. Even today, the handicapped are preferred in the assignment.

With the EU accession of Austria was a major part of the tobacco monopoly and the state tobacco Austria, which had hitherto exercised the monopoly, privatized. For the retail and production monopoly remained. It is exercised in accordance tobacco monopoly law in 1996 by the distributors to 100 % State-owned Monopoly Administration GmbH. This writes from the award of tobacconists and monitors compliance with rules on the restriction of competition, such as promotional and discount ban and territorial protection.

Tobacconists are from the statutory ban on smoking in public places spaces ( § 13Vorlage: § / Maintenance / RIS Search Section 4 Tobacco Act ) are explicitly excluded.