The State Alcohol and Tobacco Company of Iceland (ÁTVR) is a
state owned
State ownership, also called public ownership or government ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, property, or enterprise by the national government of a country or state, or a public body representing a community, as opposed to a ...
company that is the
sole legal retail vendor of alcohol in
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
.
It runs a chain of 51 retail stores named Vínbúðin ''(the wine shop),'' known colloquially as Ríkið (The State)''.
'' In addition it distributes
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
to other retailers and assesses and collects
tobacco tax.
Iceland has very high
taxes on alcohol to curtail consumption and as a government revenue source. Tax rates are proportionate to the
alcohol content
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...
.
The state run company is under the
Ministry of Finance
A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position .
A ministry of finance's portfoli ...
.
See also
*
Alcohol monopoly
An alcohol monopoly is a government monopoly on manufacturing and/or retailing of some or all alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine and spirits. It can be used as an alternative for total prohibition of alcohol. They exist in all Nordic co ...
*
Prohibition in Iceland
Prohibition in Iceland went into effect in 1915 and lasted, to some extent, until 1 March 1989 (since celebrated as "Beer Day"). The ban had originally prohibited all alcohol, but from 1922 legalized wine and in 1935 legalized all alcoholic bevera ...
*
Beer in Iceland
Beer in Iceland likely dates back to the island's settlement by Norsemen. In more modern history beer was effectively banned in Iceland for most of the 20th century. Since that ban was lifted in 1989, Iceland's consumption of beer has increased ...
References
External links
Vínbúðin's website
Alcohol monopolies
Food and drink companies of Iceland
Tobacco in Iceland
Alcohol in Iceland
Retail companies established in 1961
1961 establishments in Iceland
Government-owned companies of Iceland
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