The government wants to put more regulations on tobacco products, but some mid-Missouri smokers say they don't think the new rules will change any old habits.

The U.S. House approved the bill Friday with a 307-97 vote after the Senate passed it with a 79-17 vote Thursday. Lawmakers sent the bill to President Obama, who has already promised to sign it.

While Congress continues its effort battling the tobacco industry, many mid-Missouri smokers oppose the new regulations in the bill.

"I don't think that matters because people are going to smoke anyway," said Jed Johnson, an Osage Beach resident.

Johnson says the bill is not fair to smokers, especially female smokers who might be affected by the ban on most flavored cigarettes.

"I think that would affect them quite a bit, because they like what they like," he said. "If it's special, it tastes better, so they're more prone to enjoy themselves."

Federal officials on the other hand say banning flavored cigarettes is a way to prevent children from smoking. Officials as well as children's advocates say flavors such as cherry and other fruits may appeal to children and teenagers, which increase the risks for them to start smoking.

While many smokers do not support the bill, some say the bill does have some benefits, such as requiring tobacco companies to state the amount of addictive nicotine on the label. The bill requires tobacco companies to remove some chemicals from cigarettes, but will not ban addictive nicotine.

"As far as what they're doing to tobacco companies, what they need to remove or put on the package, as far as what's really in the cigarette, yeah, I'm all for that, I might even take the time to read it," one Columbia resident said.

For the 20 percent of Americans who do smoke, this bill could mean confronting more graphic warnings on the risk of smoking every time they pick up a pack of cigarettes.

For the $89 billion tobacco industry, it means more limitations on how it can market and package the products as well as the information it is required to present on the label.