The Italy of addictions seen from the sewers and from the air
The traces left by drugs in wastewater and even in the air reveal a geography of consumption that is often different from the one imagined. And among the cities that emerge from the annual report to Parliament on drug addiction by the Department for Policies against Drugs and Other Addiction are Terni and Florence.
If on the one hand heroin appears to be in sharp decline compared to previous years, on the other hand the two cities in central Italy continue to record the highest levels of consumption estimated through the analysis of waste water.
Heroin: Terni first, Florence immediately behind
According to the report, heroin consumption today is much lower than in the 2020-2022 period, when in some cities it was estimated that up to eight daily doses per thousand inhabitants.
However, the highest values detected in 2024 are still recorded in Terni, with 0.98 daily doses per thousand people, and in Florence, with 0.8 doses.
Small numbers compared to the past, but sufficient to place the two cities at the national top for this substance.
Tuscany second in Italy for cocaine seizures
The report also highlights the weight of Tuscany in drug trafficking.
With approximately 2.7 tonnes seized by law enforcement during 2024, the region is second in Italy for quantities of cocaine intercepted, behind only Calabria.
Cocaine in the air: Rome on the national podium
If you look at the monitoring of atmospheric particulate matter, the national record belongs to Rome. At the Bufalotta monitoring site, the highest median concentration of cocaine in the air was detected, equal to 1,174 picograms per cubic meter. A value more than double compared to Pescara (565 pg/m³) and Florence (528 pg/m³), which complete the national podium.
The Tuscan capital is in fact third in Italy for the concentration of cocaine detected in the air, with 528 picograms per cubic meter.
Records for THC and ketamine
Florence also appears at the top for other substances. The highest concentrations of THC, the main active ingredient of cannabis, and ketamine were detected in the Tuscan capital. The maximum values recorded were 139 and 35 picograms per cubic meter of air respectively.
Fentanyl: the worrying fact
Among the most significant results of the monitoring is fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid responsible for a serious health emergency in the United States.
The substance was identified in 34 Italian cities, but the highest value detected by the technicians was that of Florence, with a maximum load of 0.68 milligrams.
The data does not necessarily indicate widespread consumption, but confirms the presence in the area of a substance that experts monitor with particular attention due to its high danger.
The cities where cannabis and cocaine are consumed the most
The consumption map changes depending on the substance. For cannabis, the highest levels detected in wastewater are recorded in Bologna and Turin, with approximately 97-98 daily doses per thousand inhabitants.
For cocaine, however, the national record belongs to Venice, where analyzes estimate around 27 daily doses per thousand residents.
The photograph taken by the Anti-Drug Department confirms a now consolidated trend: cannabis and cocaine remain the most widespread substances in the country, while heroin continues to reduce but maintains its highest levels in some areas of central Italy, in particular between Terni and Florence.
