BACKGROUND-AIM:
The use of nicotine containing products and alcohol among minors remains a public health challenge in Italy. Although the sale of these substances to underage individuals is prohibited in Italy, national surveys indicate widespread use among middle and high school students. While weekly pocket money can be beneficial for developing financial autonomy, they may also provide access to harmful substances. This study aims to estimate how much of Italian adolescents’ weekly pocket money is “burnt” on nicotine and alcohol products.

METHODS:
Between November 2024 and May 2025, a questionnaire was administered to 7,390 underage students attending middle and high schools in five Italian regions (Lombardy, Sardinia, Molise, Tuscany, Campania). Data were collected on weekly pocket money, socio-demographic characteristics, and use of nicotine products (conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes; e-cig, heated tobacco products; HTP, and nicotine pouches; NP) and alcohol consumption. Current users were defined as individuals who had used a product within the previous 30 days. Analyses estimated weekly spending across the whole sample and by nicotine products use and school grade.

RESULTS:
Students report an average pocket money of €16.53 per week and spend €3.88 (23.5% of their pocket money) on nicotine and alcohol products. Particularly, they spend 5.2% of their pocket money on conventional cigarettes, 4.9% on HTPs, 4.7% on e-cigs, 0.7% on NP, and 8.0% on alcohol. Among current nicotine users (n=2047, representing 27.7% of the sample), weekly spending on nicotine and alcohol reaches on average €12.73, amounting for 56.0% of their pocket money, while non-users (n=5343) spend only €0.49 on these products, retaining 96.5% of their pocket money. Among current nicotine users, spending on alcoholic beverages represents 15.5% of pocket money, compared to 3.4% among non-users. With increasing age, the proportion allocated to harmful substances increase (from 10.5% of the pocket money among lower-secondary students to 25.8% among students in the fourth and fifth years of upper-secondary school). The composition of expenditure varies by age. Younger students tend to spend more on e-cigs than on conventional cigarettes, but this pattern reverses in higher school grades.

CONCLUSIONS:
A substantial portion of Italian adolescents’ pocket money is spent in harmful products, containing nicotine and alcohol, generating a non-negligible economic burden even during school age. Nicotine users spend nearly half of their pocket money to addictive products, amounting to roughly €700 per year, while non-users preserve almost all of it. These findings suggest that parents should be aware that if their children use nicotine products, a large share of their pocket money is diverted to these purchases; thus, reducing or reconsidering weekly pocket money may help limit access to such substances. Moreover, stricter enforcement of laws prohibiting sales to minors is needed.