Adult smoking prevalence stands at 18.6% (2020), which is moderate and below the consortium average. Youth prevalence, however, stands at 32.0% — the highest in the consortium, tied with Bulgaria — indicating a substantial generational challenge. The country ranks 18th out of 37 European countries on the Tobacco Control Scale (2021), reflecting a mid-range policy position. Smoke-free policies are assessed as weak, and plain packaging has not been implemented. A toll-free cessation quit line is available, but cigarette affordability has not changed since 2012, limiting the deterrent effect of price. Vending machine sales remain legal, and internet sales are not banned. Key recommendations include implementing plain packaging, banning vending machine sales, and joining the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

A standard blood alcohol concentration limit applies of 0.5 g/L for drivers, in line with the majority of EU member states. The minimum legal drinking age is 18. As a major wine-producing country, no excise duty is levied on still wine (0 EUR per hectolitre), consistent with other wine-producing nations in the consortium such as Romania and Bulgaria. This zero-rate taxation reflects longstanding cultural and economic considerations, though it limits the use of price-based mechanisms as a tool for reducing alcohol-related harm.

The country is classified as an "EU type institutions" country for physical activity policy, indicating a relatively mature institutional framework for cross-sector coordination. Eurobarometer data show that weekly physical activity participation has remained broadly stable — 40% in 2014, 42% in 2018, and 38% in 2022 — though the most recent figure represents a slight decline. National physical activity recommendations were adopted through the Ministry of Health and the Italian Regions in 2019. The "Gaining Health" programme (Guadagnare Salute), in place since 2007, and the National Prevention Plan 2020–2025, which includes an "Active Communities" programme, provide the country's strategic framework for physical activity promotion.

The country was an early adopter of HPV vaccination, introducing the programme for girls in 2007/2008 and extending it to boys in 2018. Despite early introduction, HPV vaccination coverage remains low, with a significant drop-off between first and last doses indicating challenges in programme completion. Cervical cancer incidence stands at 8.0 per 100,000 — among the lowest in the consortium — suggesting that other preventive factors, including established screening programmes, contribute to favourable outcomes. Hepatitis B vaccination is mandatory, with coverage at 95%, meeting the WHO 95% target. The mandatory nature of the HBV programme has been instrumental in maintaining consistently high coverage rates.

The country ranks as a low-to-moderate risk country on the Cancer Risk Factors Index, a composite measure encompassing obesity, tobacco and alcohol consumption, physical activity, socio-economic conditions, and pollution. As an EU member state with an established and universally accessible healthcare system, the country is positioned at the higher-spending, lower-risk end of the European spectrum. The cross-country analysis shows a correlation between health expenditure levels and cancer outcomes, with countries that invest more in healthcare — and particularly in preventive care — tending to record lower cancer mortality rates. This position underscores the value of sustained investment in both treatment infrastructure and upstream prevention.