Overview

• Consumption of key psychoactive drugs among 15- to 19-year-olds dipped in 2024, with cannabinoid use edging down to 21% and cocaine use to 1.8%.
• Cannabis remains the most prevalent substance, with about 52 daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants and THC potency in hashish products rising from 7% in 2016 to 29% in 2024.
• Cocaine accounted for 35% of acute lethal overdoses in 2024, resulting in 80 deaths equal to heroin-related fatalities and comprising 30% of drug-related hospital admissions.
• More than 510,000 students aged 15-19 have used antidepressants or other psychotropics without prescriptions in their lifetime, with 180,000 minors doing so in the past year.
• The National Early Warning System identified 79 new psychoactive substances circulating in Italy in 2024, underscoring the persistent emergence of novel compounds.