Addiction conference, Mattarella: "We need a concerted effort." Meloni: "We have an anti-fentanyl plan."

President Sergio Mattarella attended the opening session of the 7th National Conference on Addiction at the Auditorium della Tecnica in Rome. "The tragedy of addiction, the tragedy of lives destroyed by the perverse presence of organized crime, requires a conscious commitment, a constant commitment of determination, and also a concerted effort. No one will be alone," because the commitment to fighting drugs is "a front for freedom," the head of state said, speaking at the Conference on Addiction.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also present.

"I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. I already did so this morning when the President arrived. His presence clearly demonstrates, more than anyone else's, the institutions' concerted commitment," Prime Minister Meloni said in her speech. "To free those who have fallen victim to addiction and to develop effective treatment and rehabilitation programs."

"I am also grateful to the Holy Father," she added, "for his words of hope and encouragement, following the historic audience in the Vatican on World Drug Day." "Old addictions overlap and intertwine with new ones, generating fragility and problems often unknown in the past, and this complex reality requires courageous, concrete, and far-sighted responses," Meloni said.

" We are among the first nations in the world to have developed a national plan to prevent the illegal or improper spread of fentanyl and synthetic opioids, along with a strategy involving numerous institutions . This strategy has raised awareness and prevention tools to the highest level to stem the spread of these extremely dangerous substances, which in other nations, such as the United States, have generated and are generating a veritable epidemic that is condemning tens of thousands of people to death," Meloni continued. "This experience," she emphasized, "allowed us last year in New York to be among the leading figures in the global coalition against the threats posed by synthetic drugs, confirming our role as a trailblazer in numerous multilateral contexts."

"The rise of the drug market and consumption, the recourse to easy money through slot machines, and the addiction to the internet, which also includes harmful content," Pope Leo observed in a video message, "demonstrate that we live in a world devoid of hope, lacking vigorous human and spiritual proposals. Consequently, many young people think that all behaviors are the same, as they are unable to distinguish good from evil and have no sense of moral limits."

"Teamwork is essential" to address an "emergency" like that of drug addiction. This is what Alfredo Mantovano , Undersecretary to the Prime Minister's Office, said on the eve of the opening of the 7th National Conference on Addiction in Rome. "It is such a significant and decisive challenge for the future of civilization, of our legal system, of our nation, that it cannot be addressed by a single level, that of government," he emphasized. "We are trying to involve everyone, from the regions to the autonomous provinces, to scientific societies, to the public service for both addiction and welfare in general, and to rehabilitation communities. We are also trying to involve the media, which is crucial to bringing about a sort of cultural shift."

Mantovano recalls that the National Conference on Addictions is "a legal requirement." "From 2009 to today," he recalls, "this triennial frequency has never been observed, except in 2021, but in a reduced format due in part to Covid. The Government's organization, promotion, and support of the National Conference up to this point isn't merely fulfilling a legal requirement, but rather confirms a renewed focus, and one that has continued to involve all stakeholders."

Specifically, the Undersecretary explains that "the spread of cannabis derivatives is certainly alarming because there continues to be an attitude of underestimation . They are defined as 'soft' substances, when there is nothing soft about them" .

"The spread of synthetic opioids is also concerning, particularly those substances produced using artificial intelligence , constantly inventing new molecules in laboratories." Regarding fentanyl, however, he specifies that "in Italy there is no emergency situation, unlike what exists in the United States, for example . The National Prevention Plan against fentanyl and synthetic opioids was adopted and has been operational since March 2024 precisely because it aims to prevent an emergency situation from developing. This plan allows us to be vigilant and therefore ready to intervene at any sign of the substance's presence."

Finally, for Mantovano , putting the issue of drugs and other addictions back at the centre of politics is important "because the future of our generations depends on it" . In the latest report to Parliament from the Department for Addictions, he emphasizes, "we read that approximately just under four out of ten adolescents, that is, people who are actually between the ages of 15 and 19, declare having taken drugs at least once in their lives. According to the same report, at least a quarter of adolescents declare having used drugs in the last year . We are facing a phenomenon that has the characteristics of a pandemic, and for now I am limiting my attention to adolescents: the use of narcotics during this phase of life risks causing irreversible damage, as unfortunately happens in general silence. With these figures, we can already speak of a national emergency , beyond the spread of fentanyl, due to the circulation of other substances. This situation deserves a global approach, such as the one we will once again provide at this conference through continuous, effective, and courageous actions."