Results of THL’s wastewater study: Steep growth observed in use of designer drug Alpha-PVP, known colloquially as peukku, large regional differences
Alpha-PVP ("peukku") is increasingly used especially in the vicinity of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. However, regional differences are significant, and its use is strongly concentrated in Southern and Southwest Finland. THL’s recent wastewater study indicates that the amphetamine and cocaine consumption volumes measured in 2024 are also among the highest ever measured in many cities and surroundings.
“The use of Alpha-PVP has multiplied in recent years in places such as the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Tampere. Its problematic use is continuous, which is reflected in the steady amount of residues found on various days of the week in wastewater studies. Alpha-PVP is also used in place of more traditional drugs, such as amphetamine,” says Teemu Gunnar, Head of Forensic Toxicology at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
In addition to the largest cities in Southern and Southwest Finland, Alpha-PVP was found regularly in wastewater studies every day of the week in Hämeenlinna, Salo, Huittinen, Vihti, Porvoo, Kotka, Seinäjoki, Savonlinna, Vaasa and Lappeenranta. On the other hand, measurable amounts were not found in many cities in Eastern and Northern Finland. Based on wastewater monitoring, temporal and regional variations are typically more common in the use of designer drugs than that of more conventional drugs.
Alpha-PVP is the most common and long-standing new psychoactive substance used in Finland. In Finland, Alpha-PVP was classified as a narcotic at the end of 2013.
Use of amphetamine and cocaine has increased in several cities, no major changes in the use of methamphetamine and ecstasy
Amphetamine is the most widely used stimulant drug in the majority of the country. The use of cocaine is strongly concentrated in southern Finland, although its use has also continued to increase elsewhere in Finland. The use of amphetamine and cocaine increased in many places outside the Helsinki Metropolitan Area in 2024 compared to 2022, when an extensive wastewater study was last carried out.
“The use of amphetamines and cocaine has risen in 2024 to higher than ever before in many cities. Cocaine was now detected in almost all cities where measurements were performed, but its consumption volumes were still considerably higher in large cities in southern Finland,” says Aino Kankaanpää, Development Manager at THL.
On average, the use of methamphetamine remains low. There are no major changes in the consumption volumes of MDMA, i.e. ecstasy, although its use has increased noticeably since 2022 in some cities where the study was carried out. Compared to many other drugs, ecstasy consumption volumes have remained fairly stable since 2012, when a national wastewater study was first conducted in Finland.
Increased use has increased the monetary value of the illicit drugs market
National wastewater studies can be used to assess drug consumption volumes at the national level in an exceptional manner, which also makes it possible to assess the monetary value of the drug market more accurately.
The increase in drug use has also significantly increased the monetary value of the drug market over the past ten years. Based on the extensive national wastewater study, in 2024, the calculated market value of amphetamine in Finland was EUR 120–150 million, that of cocaine was EUR 87–96 million and that of methamphetamine approximately EUR 5 million. Over a period of 10 years, this is a significant increase, especially for cocaine. In 2014 the amphetamine market’s value of was estimated at around EUR 70 million and that of cocaine and methamphetamine was estimated to be around EUR 10 million.
The results of the extensive national study on drugs found in wastewater now published include the collection periods in both March and November of 2024 in 30 cities and their neighbouring areas. The results of the monitoring reported in March this year have also been given for Helsinki, Espoo, Turku, and Tampere. In addition, the results of continuous wastewater monitoring until the end of March this year have been published for the largest cities (Helsinki, Turku, Tampere).
The samples for continuous wastewater research are collected from Helsinki, Tampere and Turku between Sunday and Monday morning, so the results shed light in particular on drug use during weekends. The results of the national sampling reflect the average use calculated for all days of the week.
The extensive study covers about 60 per cent of the Finnish population.
Contact information
Teemu Gunnar
Team Leader, Chief Specialist
THL
Tel. +358 29 524 8425
[email protected]
Aino Kankaanpää
Development Manager
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare tel. +358 29 524 8427
[email protected]
