Every day, on average, 118 doctors and nurses help, sometimes saving them from death, five people for intoxication: alcohol and traditional drugs, certainly, but cases of serious illnesses due to the abuse of synthetic substances and psychotropic drugs are increasing. These are the effects, in the city and in the hinterland, of getting high at all costs, on the rise among young people and minors. An emergency situation as highlighted by the Serd headquarters and the 118 operations center of Areus.

"From the latest data contained in the annual report to Parliament on the phenomenon of drug addiction, there is a slight decrease in drug use among young people," underlines Graziella Boi, head of the ASL Serd and member of the technical table for mental health established by the Ministry of Health, "but the use of cocaine, crack, synthetic cannabinoids and psychotropic drugs is increasing." And from 118 comes confirmation that rescue operations for people with toxicological pathologies are numerous: almost 1800 in 2024, already more than 800 in these first six months, an increase compared to the same period last year. "We expect the numbers to also increase for July and August," explains the director of the 118 center in Cagliari, Daniele Barillari.

The mix

One of the main concerns for first responders is the use of various substances to get high: "The most worrying aspect", Barillari points out, "for us as well as for our colleagues in the emergency rooms is that alcohol use is often associated with synthetic drugs that are often not declared by the consumer. Thus, the effects are unpredictable and difficult to manage in the acute phase". According to the numbers in possession of the Regional Emergency Management Agency (Areus), first responders coordinated by the Cagliari headquarters register peaks in some months: the summer months (last year there were almost 200 interventions in August alone) and at the end of the year. "It presumably happens because we are in the holiday season", Barillari points out. And if we compare the first months of 2025 with those of 2024, we notice a clear increase especially in January, March and June. In short, a record year is feared for 2025.

The addiction

The topic of addictions and the consequences on consumers' health is at the center of the Ministry of Health's attention. Graziella Boi is one of the 11 psychiatrists chosen by Minister Orazio Schillaci to work on the national plan for mental health. "We are seeing a consumption of psychotropic drugs among very young people, often unfortunately due to a lack of control by adults," she confirms. "Young people continue to look for them, even through the black market, not being able to have the necessary prescriptions to purchase them." And the phenomenon is worryingly involving the age group between 14 and 18. "We are seeing," Boi continues, "increasingly frequent disorders due to the use of these substances. And we are also seeing it in pre-adolescent age." So we are getting to the point of using narcotic substances, including synthetic ones, even at 11-12 years of age. With the consequence of an increase in requests for assistance from very young people in child neuropsychiatry.

Networking

A broad and complex phenomenon that must see all institutions united. A concept often repeated also at the table of the public order and safety committee in the Prefecture. Because the repressive aspect and the control of the territory are not enough: it is necessary, as reiterated by everyone, a team effort including the world of school and the family, to prevent and educate the kids before it is too late.

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