Author: Nearly 40% of Italian teens take drugs, government report finds

An annual report to parliament revealed that almost 960,000 Italian youths aged 15-19, representing 39% of them, have experimented with illegal substances, signaling a worrying trend as drug abuse in Italy edges closer to pre-pandemic levels. The influence of powerful mafia groups involved in drug trafficking is evident, with 54,000 young individuals using cocaine and approximately 550,000 admitting to consuming cannabis-related products in 2023. Government undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano expressed concerns about the rapid spread of illegal substances in Italy, likening it to a “pandemic” and highlighting a lack of awareness regarding the associated risks. The report indicated that the total…