An overview of the drug situation and drug use is formed by combining research data from multiple sources
The illegal nature of drug use and the stigma associated with it make drugs a difficult phenomenon to study. To obtain a reliable and comprehensive picture of the drug situation and drug use, research findings and register data from a wide range of sources must therefore be combined.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) produces and disseminates information on drug use and patterns of use, as well as their social and health-related harms. Its tasks also include maintaining drug-related statistics.
More than a quarter of Finns have tried cannabis
According to the 2022 Drug Survey, 29 percent of the Finnish adult population have tried some illicit drug at least once in their lifetime, most commonly cannabis. In 2022, nine percent had used drugs during the past year, and four per cent during the past month. Experimentation and use are most common among young adults aged 25–34, almost half of whom (47%) have tried drugs at some point in their lives.
Attitudes toward drugs and opinions on drug policy have changed considerably. Attitudes and opinions toward cannabis, in particular, have become more lenient, while other drugs are viewed much more critically.
Use and attitudes
Use of stimulant drugs has increased more than fourfold in just over a decade
According to THL wastewater studies, the combined use of stimulant drugs (amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine) increased more than fourfold between 2012 and 2024. In the study cities included, the situation in 2025 did not differ significantly from that of 2024.
The relative shares of different substances vary considerably over time and between regions. Amphetamine is used in all study cities, whereas cocaine use is strongly concentrated in large cities in southern Finland – at times even surpassing amphetamine use in the Helsinki metropolitan area. A sharp decline in amphetamine use was observed in 2021, most likely as a result of a major law enforcement operation.
Use of alpha-PVP, the most commonly used new drug in Finland and a synthetic cathinone, has increased significantly in recent years. The use of alpha-PVP is heavily concentrated in southern and south-western Finland.
Population-level use by region
Buprenorphine, amphetamine and alpha-PVP are the most commonly injected drugs
In the 2025 syringe residue study, the share of the synthetic cathinone alpha-PVP rose to 30 percent of all examined syringes (2024: 23%). At the same time, the share of amphetamine decreased to 16 percent (2024: 20%). Buprenorphine remained the most commonly injected substance (44%).
The data are based on a syringe residue study analyzing used syringes returned to health counseling points in Helsinki.
Buprenorphine and amphetamine have been the most commonly injected drugs since 2017, but in recent years the share of synthetic cathinones, especially alpha-PVP, has increased. Findings of more than one drug are detected annually in some syringes, indicating polydrug use and repeated use of the same syringe.
The situation in Finland regarding injecting drug use differs significantly from many Western and Central European countries, where heroin and cocaine are typically the most commonly injected substances.
Injecting drug use
Drug poisoning deaths have nearly tripled since the early 2000s
In Finland, poisoning deaths related to suicide and alcohol have decreased significantly over recent decades. In contrast, the number of fatal drug poisonings has increased throughout the 21st century.
The increase has occurred in all age groups, but particular concern has been raised by the rapid growth in deaths among those under the age of 25. Finland has one of the highest proportions of under 25-year-olds among drug poisoning deaths in Europe.
As drug use becomes more prevalent, drug-related harms—and in the most severe cases, deaths—also increase. Alongside fatal poisonings, the number of cases in which drugs are detected in the deceased has risen. These findings are not always directly linked to the primary cause of death, but drug use may nonetheless have contributed to the outcome.
In recent years, most fatal drug poisonings have been caused by buprenorphine and other opioids, most often in combination with other central nervous system depressants such as benzodiazepines. Amphetamine and, in recent years, alpha-PVP have also been significant causes. Death most commonly results from the simultaneous use of multiple substances.
Relative to population size, Finland has more drug poisoning deaths than the EU average. This is partly due to polydrug use and riskier modes of use, such as intravenous use. Although drug use is a known risk factor for suicide, drug poisoning deaths are most often accidental.
Fatal poisonings and drug-related deaths