Italy begins work on addictions plan covering gambling and digital dependencies
Regulation2 min read
Italy has begun work on a new National Action Plan on addictions, following a meeting chaired by undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano at Palazzo Chigi. The plan will draw on the 2025 national conference and involve central administrations, regions and autonomous provinces; Mantovano said a health ministry circular clarified that the national health service covers behavioural and substance addictions.
A meeting convened by Italy’s department for drug and other addiction policy focused on the start of work on a new national action plan. Alfredo Mantovano, the undersecretary responsible for drug and other addiction policy, chaired the meeting at Palazzo Chigi.
The plan will draw on the seventh national addictions conference, held in Rome in November 2025. Mantovano said the last plan approved by the Council of Ministers dated from the period 2010 to 2013.
Mantovano said public service and therapeutic community workers had asked at the conference for gaming and internet addiction to be considered alongside gambling disorder in nationally guaranteed healthcare. He said the health ministry subsequently clarified in an August circular that the national health service covers behavioural and substance addictions. Mantovano said care for children and adults with behavioural addictions must now be provided effectively and uniformly across the country.
Mantovano said more than €230m was available to the national addictions system for 2026, compared with €210m initially envisaged. A substantial share is structural funding from the pathological addictions fund established in the 2025 budget law. Up to 30% of that fund can go towards permanent staff in public addiction services. Further funding from the eight-per-thousand scheme supports accommodation in therapeutic communities and projects for young people.
A line for internet and new-technology problems has been set up within the national health institute’s addiction helpline through the national behavioural addictions fund. A million euros was also transferred to the education ministry to train secondary school teachers on drugs, behavioural addictions and youth distress.
The meeting included representatives of ministries, regional and provincial bodies, the national health institute, scientific societies, therapeutic community and third-sector networks, and SDA Bocconi’s Cergas. Central administrations, regions, autonomous provinces and those working in prevention, treatment and recovery are to take part in the new planning process.