Annotation

This article analyzes the transformation of legal regulation of nicotine-containing products in Russia from a sanitary and epidemiological approach to a model based on national security and the protection of traditional spiritual and moral values. It demonstrates the expansion of the concept of "nicotine-containing products" to include nicotine-free liquids and delivery devices, reflecting the shift to a functional regulatory criterion. Objective: To demonstrate the role of tobacco and other nicotine-containing product regulation in the prevention of drug abuse (illegal drug use without a doctor's prescription). Methodology: The dialectical method of scientific cognition and the systemic-structural scientific method were used. Conclusions: The current legal architecture for regulating the circulation of products containing or delivering nicotine in the Russian Federation is undergoing a qualitative shift. Legal regulation of nicotine-containing products is entering a new phase characterized by a systematic approach, strategic focus, and value saturation, expressing the state's intention to create a comprehensive program to counter the consumption of nicotine-containing products and drugs, to form a social environment resistant to destructive external influences, and to affirm health as an integral basis for national sovereignty. Scientific and practical significance: The article demonstrates the relationship between drug abuse prevention and regulation of nicotine-containing or nicotine-delivering products, as well as the need for a scientific understanding of the links between tobacco smoking and drug addiction. Based on an analysis of Federal Law No. 15-FZ, strategic documents, and legislative initiatives, including draft law No. 1081612-8, the article explores the development of a preventive legal model aimed at a complete ban on vaping. In the context of the "Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values," such consumption is interpreted as a threat not only to health but also to national identity and reproductive potential. Risks of legal uncertainty, the growth of the shadow market, and conflict between public interest and individual rights are highlighted. It is emphasized that modern regulation does not act as a ban for the sake of banning, but as a tool for creating a value-sustainable social environment.