The 2026 Report to Parliament photographs an evolving emergency: cocaine surpasses heroin in terms of health impact, synthetic drugs and digital addictions are increasing, while consumption among young people is growing.
Italy changes the way of interpreting the phenomenon of addictions. It is not just a terminological change, but a real paradigm shift. The new one Report to Parliament on the phenomenon of addictions in Italy 2026 in fact, it abandons the traditional reference to drug addiction alone to adopt a much broader vision, which also includes gambling, digital addictions, social isolation and new compulsive behaviors. The picture that emerges is that of a country grappling with an increasingly complex threat, in which the cocaine has now replaced theheroin as the main health emergency, while polyconsumption is growing among young people and psychological fragility is increasing.
The most significant news concerns cocaine
According to the report, this substance currently represents the main factor of pressure on the national health system. In 2025 it was responsible for 33% of deaths directly ascertained by Law enforcementof 32% of drug-related hospital admissions and is the main cause of 48% of new accesses to Addiction Services (SerD). An epochal change compared to the past, when the negative record belonged almost exclusively to heroin. The expansion of the cocaine market is also confirmed by law enforcement activities. The large commercial ports, in particular Gioia Tauro And Livorno, continue to represent the main entry points of the substance into Europe. Laboratory analyzes also show a progressive increase in purity, with concentrations between 73 and 75%, while crack frequently reaches levels above 80%, with cases close to 100%. Increasingly pure substances mean more intense effects, greater risk of addiction and an increasing number of acute intoxications.
Synthetic drugs alert
Alongside the growth of cocaine, however, the Government is raising the alarm about the rapid evolution of the synthetic drug market, considered one of the main emerging threats. In 2025 the National Early Warning System (NEWS-D) he identified 92 new psychoactive substances circulating on Italian territory. The largest category is synthetic cannabinoids, followed by synthetic cathinones, arylcyclohexylamines, phenethylamines, and new synthetic opioids, including nitazenes. These are molecules produced in clandestine laboratories, often characterized by a much higher potency than traditional drugs and by a constantly changing chemical composition, which allows criminal organizations to more easily circumvent regulatory controls. The report also highlights how many seized substances are adulterated or mixed with new synthetic compounds, increasing the risk of serious intoxication and overdose. Particular attention continues to be paid to fentanyl and its derivatives, monitored through a specific national prevention plan to prevent the development in Italy of a crisis similar to the one which in recent years has caused tens of thousands of victims in United States. This evolution confirms how international drug trafficking is investing more and more in synthetic drugs: substances that are cheap to produce, extremely powerful and much more difficult to intercept than traditional narcotics.
The profile of consumers is also changing
After a few years of decline, drug use is increasing again among Italian students. Over one in four young people between the ages of 15 and 19 say they have taken at least one illegal substance in the last year. While cannabis shows a slight decline, consumption of cannabis is growing cocaine, stimulants, ketamine, hallucinogens And synthetic opioids. Even more worrying is the increase in polyconsumption, i.e. the simultaneous intake of multiple substances, often accompanied by alcohol abuse and the improper use of psychotropic drugs. Cannabis still remains the most widespread drug, but this market is also changing profoundly. The report highlights how traditional products have given way to much more powerful preparations. Extracts, waxes, oils and e-cigarette liquids may contain concentrations of THC above 80-90%while cases of products adulterated with are increasing synthetic cannabinoidsThis is much more dangerous than natural cannabis. If the illicit market evolves rapidly, addictions also change face. For the first time the Government dedicates ample space to so-called behavioral addictions, now considered an integral part of the same phenomenon. Problematic Internet use involves approx 230 thousand minor studentswhile further 260 thousand have a risky gaming profile. Almost 27 thousand kids declare that they experience situations attributable to the phenomenon Hikikomori a form of extreme and voluntary social isolationin which a person, generally an adolescent or young adult, progressively withdraws from social life until they almost completely close themselves in their home, often in their room, for at least six months.
Even more impressive are the data on gambling
Almost 60% of minors have gambled at least once in the last year and both problem gambling profiles and those defined as “at risk” are growing. According to the authors of the report, these behaviors are frequently associated with the use of substances, episodes of vandalism and other antisocial behaviors. The growing complexity of the phenomenon inevitably also reflects on the healthcare system. During 2025, the SerDs took care of over 131 thousand people, an increase compared to the previous year, while access to the emergency room for events directly linked to drug use grew by 15%. At the same time, the Government underlines the strengthening of prevention activities in schools and in the local area, thanks to the collaboration between health services, local authorities and the third sector. The political message of the Report appears clear. Addictions are no longer considered just a drug problem, but a multidimensional phenomenon which involves mental health, education, family, school and society. The challenge, according to the document, will not only be to combat international drug trafficking, but to intervene early on the vulnerabilities of younger people, in a context in which synthetic drugs, gambling and digital addictions increasingly tend to overlap. This is the new frontier of the Italian emergency outlined by the Government, destined to guide the future national plan on addictions.
