Neapolitan nightlife has returned to the spotlight of the Carabinieri Provincial Command. During the night, as clubs in the historic center and the Spanish Quarter shut down, the last "High Impact" report ended, with flashing lights illuminating the alleyways where partying often intersects with stories of drugs and decay.
The men in uniform focus on young drug users. In the background, a familiar pattern: low lights, shards of glass on the pavement, groups of drunk or confused youths, and on the horizon, the silhouette of the drug dealer retreating as soon as they see the patrol approach.
“Don't worry, it's for personal use.”
Last night, officers from the Naples Central Company's operational unit reported four young men, encountered in the historic center. They found small amounts of hashish and marijuana in their pockets, enough, however, to trigger the procedure for personal drug use.
They don't know each other, but their reaction is almost identical: "Don't worry. It's for personal use!" A phrase that, rather than justifying, often highlights a lack of awareness. In reality, even if it's not a criminal offense, possession of drugs intended for personal use is an administrative offense that leaves a trail in the Prefecture's archives.
What does “personal use” mean?
When a Carabinieri officer finds a person in possession of substances intended for personal use, the drugs are seized and the individual is reported to the local Prefecture. Possession remains an administrative offense, not a criminal offense, from a criminal standpoint, but it still carries a series of consequences.
The law requires that, after a report is filed, the Prefecture initiates an administrative proceeding. Within 40 days of receiving the report, the Prefect may summon the individual for a meeting with an official and a social worker, during which the legal and health consequences of drug use are explained, as well as the individual's personal situation.
Sanctions and addiction services
In less serious cases, especially if it is the first report and the quantity of the substance is modest, the procedure may conclude with a formal warning to stop using narcotics, without the application of actual sanctions.
In other cases, the Prefect may impose administrative sanctions that may include the suspension of a driving license, passport, or other valid travel documents, as well as a firearms license, for a period ranging from one to twelve months, depending on the circumstances and the type of substance.
The legislation also provides for the possibility of directing young people to local addiction services, which offer healthcare, psychological, and educational support to those who need it.
38 reported in 20 days
As part of a preventive measure, the Carabinieri of the Naples Provincial Command have intensified anti-nightlife checks in recent weeks. Over the past 20 days, approximately 1100 people have been checked in Naples' main squares and nightlife areas.
Of these, 38 youths were reported to the Prefecture for possession of substances for personal use: on average, nearly one youth in every 30 checked. This figure demonstrates the widespread nature of the phenomenon, especially among the youngest, but also the ability to intercept it before it escalates into more serious use or a transition to harder substances.
I don't know if repression alone is enough, perhaps we need more prevention policies and fewer punitive sanctions; prefects should make useful placements but locals and families should also be involved, also training in schools and more accessible services without judgement.
Nightlife is an understandable problem, but the controls also seem fair; however, young people often don't understand the difference between an offence and a crime and are needlessly scared. Perhaps more help desks and serious discussions with social workers are needed, along with clearer information and less bureaucracy.
I understand the problem of controls, but I don't think the solution is always there. I agree only with reporting the kids: often there's a lack of information and prevention, and punishment is confused with help. The Carabinieri intervene, but social services aren't ready, and the prefecture's response is slow and unclear, so the phenomenon remains only touched upon and without a real answer.
In 2026, marijuana is still being treated as a bridge to heroin, perhaps because those who fight it today were just fooling themselves. Like all kids of the time who grew up in the '80s and '90s; if only they'd smoked joints, so many parents wouldn't still be in trouble 30 years later. We need risk reduction, not these laws stuck in prohibition. A system like the Spanish one, which eliminates drug dealing and petty crime in favor of closed, controlled places, where the substances are natural, and consumers are "registered" and monitored in terms of consumption and quantity. This prohibitionist system, between meetings at the prefecture and the benevolence of the law enforcement agency on duty, does nothing but fuel consumption among very young people who shouldn't be getting close to substances, even soft ones.