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

Cocaine-related deaths in Italy reached an all-time high in 2024, with 35 per cent of directly ascertained deaths from acute lethal intoxication attributable to this substance. For the first time, the number of deaths from this substance ascertained by the police (80 cases), was in fact equivalent to that from heroin and opiates (81 cases). The use of antidepressants without prescriptions by the very young is also increasing, with a prevalence more than double for girls. New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) remain a constant threat in the Italian market. And while the consumption of psychotropic substances among young people is 'slightly' dropping, new addictions such as those to gambling and videgames are growing. This is what emerges from the Annual Report to Parliament on the phenomenon of drug addiction in Italy, just published by Palazzo Chigi with a preface by the Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for anti-drug policies, Alfredo Mantovano

Cocaine remains one of the substances with the greatest health and social impact in Italy. As mentioned, in 2024, 35 per cent of directly ascertained deaths from acute lethal intoxication were attributed to this substance, a percentage that has been steadily increasing over the years. Cocaine is responsible for 30 per cent of drug-related hospital admissions (constant compared to 2023). Among users in drug services, 23 per cent use cocaine as their primary substance and 3.3 per cent use crack cocaine (cocaine base). In addition, analyses of urban waste water reveal that cocaine is the second most commonly consumed illegal psychoactive substance in Italy in 2024, after cannabis, with an estimated average of about 11 doses per day per 1,000 inhabitants, a value that is slightly increasing compared to the years 2020-2022. Even more than alcohol and tobacco, cocaine is also the substance most frequently associated with poly-drug use. Confirming the increasing trend from 2020-2021, it is worth noting the steady increase, among the substances seized in the retail market, of crack samples with a high concentration of active substance (around 90 per cent).

The use of psychotropic substances, the report notes, among young people 'appears to have decreased slightly' in 2024 compared to 2023. But use remains massive: cannabis continues to be the most widely used drug, accounting for 77% of police reports for personal use (stable) and 37% of complaints for dealing (slightly down from 2023). Cannabis is also the primary substance for 13 % of users in the care of pathological addiction services (SerD). In 2024, the analysis of drugs in urban waste water reaching sewage treatment plants showed that cannabis and its 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 worth highlighting is the significant increase in the concentration of THC in hashish 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 youngsters: around 1.530 million youngsters, or 62 per cent of students, report having gambled at least once in their lives, while more than 1.420 million youngsters have done so in the last year, 'making 2024 the highest figure ever', explains the Department for Drug Policies 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 is also critical for many children: more than 290,000 underage students showed risky behaviour with video games in 2024, often associated with strong emotional reactions when they were prevented from playing. With regard to Internet use, on the other hand, in 2024 more than 320 thousand students made problematic use of the web, neglecting their friends or losing hours of sleep to stay connected, displaying bad moods when it was not possible to have access to the net. "A percentage, the latter, which increased in the post-pandemic period and has remained stable until today," it is explained As for minors in 2024, it is estimated that over 500 thousand students between 15 and 18 years of age have used tobacco. While almost 360 thousand have had at least one episode of alcohol intoxication during the year. In both cases there is a higher prevalence among girls.