The use of alpha-PVP can be seen in road traffic

The increasing use of narcotics in society is reflected in road traffic and to an increasing degree also in the everyday work of the traffic police. In the summer of 2025, about one in three people caught driving while intoxicated was driving under the influence of narcotics.

A total of 4,200 cases of driving while intoxicated were recorded between June and August. The share of driving under the influence of narcotics was approximately 32 per cent during the summer months. In October, narcotics cases accounted for 40 per cent of suspected cases of driving while intoxicated. The differences between different months are not great, but in the summer months, driving while under the influence of alcohol is more commonplace than at other times.

One hundred drivers drove under the influence of alpha-PVP

Based on queries made from the information systems of the police, in June to August last summer the police encountered more than 100 suspected offences of driving while intoxicated, which also included a suspicion of driving a vehicle under the influence of alpha-PVP. In most cases, however, alpha-PVP was not the only drug used by the driver of the vehicle.

In cases of driving while intoxicated related to alpha-PVP, the suspect is usually a male. In terms of age, the suspects represented a wide age range, from young people in their twenties to those almost 70 years of age. The average age was about 35 years. Drug addiction is not associated to issues such as any specific level of education, but a weak social status and a low level of education can be seen among those caught driving a vehicle under the influence of alpha-PVP. Moreover, as many as 85 per cent of drivers suspected of driving while intoxicated or seriously intoxicated during the summer with verified alpha-PVP in their blood did not have a valid driving licence. 

The police supervise, refer users to substance abuse treatment and uncover drug crime

In addition to monitoring drug users occurring in traffic, the police also refer drug users to substance abuse treatment. Getting help for those suffering from drug addiction is in the interest of all of us. 

The police endeavour to prevent the disadvantages and insecurity caused by alpha-PVP. In the summer, the police uncovered a major operation to manufacture and distribute  alpha-PVP in Finland. Uncovering drug crime is one of the key ways of the police to prevent the harm caused by drugs in society. 

There has been a continuous drug problem in Finland for years, and alpha-PVP is just the tip of the iceberg. It just makes the drug problem visible. There is no single solution to the problems caused by the drug. There is a need for multifaceted solutions, better exchange of information, legislative solutions, better services and changes in attitudes in society. It is also a question of attitudes; we need more understanding of the dangers of drugs. There is a great need for preventive work aimed at young people in particular, in an era when attitudes towards drugs have become more positive in Finland and internationally.

Read the blog by Analyst Mika Sutela and Assistant Police Commissioner Pasi Rissanen: The use of alpha-PVP can also be seen in road traffic