Drugs in Sicily - Record Production of Cannabis

In the last few years Italy has seen the spread of “self-produced” drugs. This phenomenon concerns especially the southern regions of Italy (Sicily in particular) where organized crime recently seems to have specialized in illegal cultivation of cannabis. The investigators have discovered the presence of numerous plantations, where cannabis plants grow at a very fast pace due to the favorable climate of the island. So, adding to the existing problems of the region, Sicily has become the region in Europe with the biggest illegal production of cannabis.

In general, like in the rest of Southern Italy, drug trafficking in Sicily is run by the Mafia, which controls and manages the direct import of drugs from abroad, and allows for some of the local drug dealing to be carried out by criminals of foreign countries operating in the island. It’s easy anyway for the drug traffickers to find constant new pockets of market for cocaine, heroin and cannabis, recruiting teenagers and even children as pushers. In the most depressed areas of Sicily or in the poorest districts of its cities, in fact, young people often start selling drugs as a fast and secure way to escape the squalor of poverty, to make money and also get their personal doses.

Cocaine, both for primary and secondary use in Sicily, has the highest percentage of users in Italy, as surveyed amongst all those who resort to the Sicilian public addiction services. This also confirms that the general spread of the use of cocaine has become a concern here as well, due to its wider availability and more affordable prices. To be noted also are the increased traffic of synthetic drugs, such as ecstasy and methamphetamine, predominant in discos and nightclubs, especially in the major tourist locations. In 2009, the number of seizures of synthetic drugs by police forces amounted to 12.3% of all the seizures of the same type in Italy.

What can Narconon do for Sicily?

The fight against drugs in Sicily and elsewhere must happen at the same time on different fronts: the seizing of drugs, the repression of drug trafficking and related criminal activities, but particular focus must be concentrated on drug prevention. The prevention of drug use is the only effective way to effectively reduce over time the demand for drugs and consequently their market. Narconon’s purpose is to provide an effective drug rehabilitation program, but also to educate the public about the risks and consequences of drug use, starting from the most vulnerable groups, such as young people and school students. In this regard, thanks to its highly trained staff, Narconon is able to fulfill any request of collaboration from schools, companies and communities with effective drug education seminars and presentations of the truth about drugs. The activities of the Narconon program extend also to aid services for the families of drug users and addicts, to help manage and solve the problems created by their loved one’s condition. For further information and contacts, please email to info@narconon.org, or consult the page of our Narconon centers to find one near to you.

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