Clinical tests carried out on the sewer system in Dante's home town have found that Florentines have a greater taste for cocaine than residents of Swinging London.
The tests were carried out by the University of Florence during the last six months of 2006 and through the New Year's celebrations.
Based on the results, scientists found that during this period Florentines consumed 12kg of cocaine and 1.149kg of heroin, a ratio of about ten-to-one.
The highpoints for cocaine consumption were found to have been during the months of December and August, 2.9kg and 2.5kg respectively.
Heroin's popularity peaked in December just before the holidays
A similar experiment in London found that residents consumed 730kg of cocaine a year, an amount which British authorities at the time defined as "disturbing".
Although London won out in terms of overall quantity, Florentines were on top for per capita consumption by a ratio of five-to-four.
Two years ago, a study of the Po River found that the equivalent of four kg of cocaine a day was through into Italy's biggest river.
Early this month, Interior Minister Giuliano Amato warned that there was now "gigantic" use of cocaine in Italy.
"The demand for the drug is frightening... If there is such a demand from Italian households families, adults and young people, how can we expect the police to stop it?" Amato said.
According to the most recent figures, from 2005, 7% of Italians between the ages of 14 and 54 admit to trying cocaine at least once in their lives, with an 80% rise in cocaine use in the period 1995-2005.
Cocaine consumption is believed to be higher in only two other European countries - Britain and Spain.
Other statistics estimate that 10-12% of Italian teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 have tried cocaine and 7-10% crack, which is a processed form of cocaine hydrochloride.
