Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Illicit drug use in Italy - Statistics & Facts
Cannabis products are the most used illicit drugs in Italy. As a matter of fact, 8.5 percent of people in Italy consumed cannabis in 2022. Marijuana and hashish are among the least expensive illicit drugs in Italy, with an average cost of 10.2 and 11.8 euros per gram, respectively. Nevertheless, the expenditure for cannabis on the black market amounted to 6.6 billion euros in 2021. Cocaine was the third most consumed illicit drug in Italy and the second for overall expenditure as it was the most expensive, at 83.5 euros per gram. Overall, the expenditure on illicit drugs in Italy reached an estimated 15.5 billion euros in 2021.
Consumption among students
The percentage of people consuming at least one psychoactive drug in 2022 grows considerably when considering high-school students aged between 15 and 19 years compared to the general population. Within this sub-group, about 28 percent consumed at least one psychoactive drug during 2023. Cannabis, new psychoactive substances, inhalants, solvents, and synthetic cannabinoids are some examples. In this period, the most consumed substance was cannabis, with 22 percent of students consuming it. The consumption of cannabis was higher among male students for every age, except for 15-year-olds. Generally, 19-year-old students accounted for the highest share of high school cannabis consumers.Treatment and drug-related deaths
In 2021, the public expenditure devoted to providing services for the treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation of people with drug addiction in Italy amounted to almost 1.2 billion euros. The region of Lombardy had the highest number of outpatient centers offering this kind of service as well as the highest expenditure for addiction services. Drug-related deaths in Italy have decreased over time, dropping from 365 in 2011 to 227 in 2023. Men have always accounted for a higher share of such deaths. For example, in 2023, 191 of the total 227 drug-related deaths were men. Most of those deaths were among people aged 40 years and over. The primary cause of death was heroin, followed by unknown substances and cocaine.
