Calabria pledges €11 million for drug‑prevention and recovery programmes

The United Nations‑coordinated International Day against Drug Abuse on 26 June highlighted worsening drug‑dependency trends in Italy. A parliamentary report showed that one in four youths aged 15‑19 had used an illicit substance in the past year, with synthetic drugs and online purchases on the rise. Cocaine accounted for 33 % of drug‑related deaths and 32 % of hospitalisations.

In response, the regional government of Calabria, led by President Roberto Occhiuto, announced a three‑year investment of more than €11 million to expand prevention, treatment and social‑reintegration projects for adolescents. The plan also targets behavioural addictions such as gambling, gaming and problematic social‑media use, and introduces a regional observatory on pathological dependencies.

Other Italian municipalities marked the day with local actions, such as the town of Alcamo joining the “One banner against drugs” campaign, displaying a public banner created by students to raise awareness of both substance and behavioural addictions.