This publication reports the results of some studies and surveys carried out in the metropolitan area of Bologna. Overall, the aspects emerging from the various studies contribute to a homogenous interpretation of the phenomenon: market, medicalisation, risks, socially integrated drug users, poor drug addicts.
Market - Substances use is decreasing, but the quality/price ratio is worsening; Cannabis is having a high diffusion with similar addiction models to those of tobacco.
Medicalisation – Many subjects use psychoactive substances in order to reduce or compensate some physical or psychic symptoms within a more or less aware self-medication process.
Risks – The main problem related to illegal substances consumption is the limited knowledge of consumers about product’s composition.
Socially integrated drug users – The drug consumption seems to be transversal to cultural, economic, gender and generational differences.
Poor drug addicts – Differently from the marginal subjects, who partly choose their peculiar life-style, drug-addiction service users or ex-users are mainly affected by the economic consequences of a drug addiction they can no longer afford.
Edited by:
Raimondo Maria Pavarin, Social Epidemiologist
Epidemiological Monitoring Center on Addiction (Osservatorio Epidemiologico Dipendenze Patologiche)
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, local health unit of Bologna (AUSL - Bologna)
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