Faced with tougher local and national indoor-smoking rules, R.J. Reynolds has backed off plans to open a smoking lounge in its hometown of Winston-Salem, N.C., the Winston-Salem Journal reported June 9.

The Marshall McGearty Tobacco Lounge won't open this summer, despite the fact that extensive renovations to the downtown building are almost complete. A sister lounge has opened in Chicago, part of a marketing plan to promote the "superpremium" Marshall McGearty Tobacco Artisans cigarette brand.

"The lounge has been well-received in Chicago and proven successful in attracting adult smokers to our superpremium cigarette products," said company spokesperson David Howard. "The goal has been to replicate that same experience in other markets. As more smoking restrictions have been enacted, it was becoming more difficult to replicate the concept."

Howard said Reynolds was looking for someone to purchase the Winston-Salem building. He added that the Chicago lounge would remain open and that the company would continue to test market the Marshall McGearty brand.

"We're pleased that the growing number of smoke-free laws has curtailed at least one of R.J. Reynolds' many efforts to glamorize deadly and addictive cigarettes," said Vince Willmore of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.