Tobacco control in Austria has long fallen behind other high-income countries. A tradition of  dominant influence of the tobacco industry, coupled with a strong resistance from tobacconists, the hospitality sector, and parts of the population, impeded for a long time, any effective, comprehensive tobacco control legislation. Five years ago, a partial smoking ban in public places that  controversially granted a wide range of exceptions to the hospitality sector was introduced. Finally, on Jan 13, 2015, the coalition parties agreed to adopt a new comprehensive legislation, prohibiting  smoking in all restaurants and bars by summer 2015 - with more than ten years of delay compared to Ireland, Scotland, and Italy.