Overview
- The parliamentary report presented in June 2026 shows that in 2025 about 350,000 under‑18 students, roughly 23% of the school‑age population, reported using at least one illegal substance.
- Cocaine drove much of the harm recorded in 2025, accounting for about one‑third of drug‑attributed deaths and roughly 32% of drug‑related hospital admissions.
- Italy's early‑warning system (NEWS‑D) identified 92 new psychoactive substances in 2025, while law enforcement reported 55 tonnes of drugs seized that year.
- Public addiction services handled over 130,000 people in 2025 (up 3.5%), therapeutic communities assisted about 25,000 users, and emergency visits for drug‑related conditions rose about 15% to more than 9,600.
- The government says it spent more than €160 million on the system in 2025 and is preparing a long‑term National Plan on addictions to expand prevention, treatment and early‑warning measures at regional and local levels.