How do you keep young people away from drug dealing?

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Johan Leman, 24 June 2026

Last Monday, at the MMM Museum, we had a conversation with Daniele Sanzone, a rock musician and author from Scampia, arguably the most notorious neighborhood in Naples, feared for its drug trade and Camorra influence. He was born and raised there.

When asked what, in his view, draws young people into the world of drugs, his answer was: money (especially when there are no prospects for employment) and identity (that is, the opportunity to “be somebody”). If we apply this, mutatis mutandis of course, to Brussels’ canal area, we see that income opportunities are far from adequate. Ensuring that young people have the chance to “be somebody” is one of the core tasks of youth work.

When asked about the most important new trend he has observed in Scampia in recent years, he replied that the localization of drug dealing in a few fixed, well-known spots is disappearing. In its place, a highly flexible system has emerged, with deals being arranged through social media and carried out by appointment.

What can we learn from what is happening in Scampia? That fixed dealing locations are likely to lose importance, while the number of distribution points and the use of social-media-based arrangements and mobility will increase. In that sense, measures restricting the use of electric scooters are probably a sensible step. But they will not be enough. What then? Acting immediately when it becomes clear what will replace electric scooters. Yet the underlying problem will remain: a lack of income and economic opportunity.

And he also ended with an interesting remark, referring to Pasolini, to explain the aggressive behaviour of some young people: those who are hated will themselves come to hate.

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