Record deaths from cocaine (like those from heroin), gambling and video game addictions on the rise

There is a record number of deaths from cocaine in Italy, which reached an all-time high in 2024 with 35% of deaths directly confirmed by acute lethal intoxication attributable to this substance. For the first time, the number of deaths from this substance confirmed by law enforcement (80 cases) was in fact equivalent to that linked to the use of heroin and opiates (81 cases). The use of antidepressants without prescriptions by very young people is also increasing, with a prevalence more than double for girls. New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) remain a constant threat on the Italian market. And if the consumption of psychotropic substances among young people is "slightly" decreasing, new addictions such as gambling and video games are increasingly on the rise. This is what emerges from the Annual Report to Parliament on the phenomenon of drug addiction in Italy just published by Palazzo Chigi with the preface by the Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council with responsibility for anti-drug policies, Alfredo Mantovano

Cocaine is confirmed as one of the substances with the greatest health and social impact in Italy. As mentioned, in 2024, 35% of deaths directly confirmed by acute lethal intoxication were attributed to this substance, a percentage that has progressively increased over the years. Cocaine is responsible for 30 percent of drug-related hospital admissions (constant compared to 2023). Among users treated at SerDs, 23% use cocaine as a primary substance and 3.3% crack (cocaine base). Furthermore, analyses of urban wastewater reveal that cocaine is the second most consumed illegal psychoactive substance in Italy in 2024, after cannabis, with an average estimate of approximately 11 doses per day per 1,000 inhabitants, a value slightly increasing compared to the years 2020-2022. Even more than alcohol and tobacco, cocaine is also the substance most frequently associated with polyconsumption. Confirming the increasing trend from 2020-2021, it is worth noting the constant increase, among the substances seized on the retail market, of crack samples with a high concentration of active ingredient (around 90 percent).

The Report notes that the use of psychotropic substances among young people "appears to have slightly decreased" in 2024 compared to 2023. However, use remains widespread: cannabis continues to be the most widespread drug and is responsible for 77% of reports by the police for personal use (stable data) and 37% of reports for dealing (slightly decreasing compared to 2023). Cannabis is also the primary substance for 13% of users treated by Pathological Addiction Services (SerD). In 2024, the analysis of the narcotic substances present in urban wastewater arriving at the purification plants highlighted that cannabis and derivatives remain the most widespread psychoactive substances in Italy, with approximately 52 daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants: a stable figure compared to previous years. Also noteworthy is the significant increase in the concentration of THC in hashish-based products, whose potency has quadrupled since 2016 (from 7% in 2016 to 29% in 2024), especially in new-generation formulations and in liquids used for electronic cigarettes.

Gambling and new digital addictions are also on the rise among young people: approximately 1 million 530 thousand young people, equal to approximately 62 percent of students, report having gambled at least once in their lives, while over 1 million 420 thousand young people have done so in the last year, "recording the highest figure ever in 2024", explains the Department of Policies against Drugs and Other Addictions of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in a passage of the report sent to Parliament. But the world of video games also represents a critical issue for many young people: more than 290 thousand underage students showed risky behavior with video games in 2024, often associated with strong emotional reactions when they were prevented from playing. As for Internet use, however, in 2024 over 320 thousand students made problematic use of the web, neglecting friends or losing hours of sleep to stay connected, showing bad moods when it was not possible to have access to the network. “The latter percentage has grown in the post-pandemic period and has remained stable to date,” it is explained. As for minors, in 2024 it is estimated that over 500 thousand students between the ages of 15 and 18 have used tobacco. While almost 360 thousand have had at least one episode of alcohol poisoning during the year. In both cases there is a greater prevalence among girls.