Alpha-PVP has exacerbated the drug situation in Helsinki

Helsinki Police Department has received a lot of feedback about public order disturbances and the perceived lack of safety resulting from substance abuse. These disturbances are mainly related to drug use and related crime.

The Helsinki Police conducted more operations in the first six months of 2025 than in the same period of 2024. 

In the first six months of the year, Helsinki Police Department was called out to handle 12 per cent more incidents. The number of operations increased across all urgency categories. 

The number of crimes reported to the Helsinki Police increased by 9 per cent in the first half of the year. The biggest increase has been in petty crime, with 54 per cent more such incidents reported to the police than last year. 

“Shops in Helsinki have reported a dramatic increase in shoplifting, with the incidents becoming more brazen. As a result, retail staff and customers face more threatening situations,” says Marko Silen, Director of Advisory Services at the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce. 

Helsinki Police Department and its stakeholders have observed a recent increase in public order disturbances on public transport and violent behaviour by customers towards authorities and security guards.

The preliminary results of a safety survey by the City of Helsinki support the findings of the police and stakeholders on the growing harms of drug use. In addition to detected drugs, the highest incidences of assaults and fights have occurred in the same residential areas. 

Ninety per cent of Helsinki’s residents feel safe in the city on average, but the situation is still perceived to have deteriorated. 

Helsinki’s safety survey was conducted at the end of 2024 and the start of 2025, and the City of Helsinki will publish detailed results later this year.

The number of public order operations conducted by the police doubled in the first half of the year

Helsinki Police Department has significantly increased surveillance in areas where public order incidents occur in response to feedback from citizens and stakeholders. 

The number of public order operations conducted by the Helsinki Police doubled in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. 
Increased surveillance improves safety in public areas, reduces police response times and speeds up the investigation of crimes that have already been committed.

“These disturbances are mainly related to drug use and associated crimes. The disturbances are concentrated in the Kurvi area, Itäkeskus and Kontula, where surveillance has been stepped up. Police surveillance is constantly being developed in line with the changing operating environment, promises Chief Inspector Hanna Kiiskinen. 

The Helsinki Police is always present in the city and ready to respond around the clock, every day of the year.

The police encourage people to call 112 in an emergency when they need police, first-aid or rescue assistance.

You can send non-urgent tips to the police at vihjeet.helsinki@poliisi.fi about possible drug trafficking or other criminal activity and incidents that endanger safety on the street. 

Growing demand for drugs fuels fierce international crime and other criminality

The growing use of drugs spurs drug importation, trafficking and related crimes. Drug-related crime has a strong international, serious and organised dimension.

“Alpha-PVP is a daily occurrence in policing, and drug offenses related to it are reaching record levels this year. Based on our preliminary investigations, Alpha-PVP is mainly produced in Finland by foreign organised criminals from the Baltic countries," says Senior Detective Superintendent Kimmo Sainio. 

Based on preliminary investigations by the Helsinki Police, drug imports are dominated by networks linked to Swedish and Albanian organised crime groups. They smuggle amphetamine and cocaine into Finland. The quantities of drugs seized in preliminary investigations of organised crime have been increasing.  

Drug seizures by the Helsinki Police Department 

Drug use also contributes significantly to other forms of crime. 

“We estimate that a person using various drugs needs to spend €3,000–€6,000 per month on drugs alone. This is financed, in particular, by property crime, robbery, fraud and drug-dealing. Young women in particular are exposed to sexual offences when they acquire drugs,” Sainio points out. 
The proportion of foreigners involved in street drug dealing has increased. This is why the Helsinki Police Department has stepped up deportations due to crime. 

The Helsinki Police Department deported 523 people from Finland in the first half of the year, 69 of whom were escorted out. That is 197 more deportations than last year – an increase of 60%. 

Alpha-PVP causes severe psychological symptoms and addiction

According to the Helsinki emergency services, drug problems are keeping paramedics busy at a steady rate. In addition to acute overdoses, patients with chronic health problems due to drug use are a constant sight. 

HUS, the region’s public health care authority, has estimated that there are 12,000–15,000 intravenous drug users in the Helsinki metropolitan area. HUS treats drug overdoses every day and estimates that there are around 1,000 per year.

The total number of ambulance operations related to drugs has increased slightly, but the number of heavy users of mixtures of drugs has remained stable. Alpha-PVP has emerged as the drug of choice this year, especially during the summer. 

“Alpha-PVP has very troublesome psychological effects, namely hallucinations, paranoia, anxiety and psychotic behaviour. The situation is challenging for first-responders because the patient may be out of control and can be a danger to themselves, bystanders and paramedics. Quite often, the police have to be involved in these operations in addition to the ambulance service," says Katja Peräjoki, the physician in charge of emergency care in Helsinki.

Another unfortunate feature of Alpha-PVP is its highly addictive nature. First responders sometimes encounter very young users who need professional intervention to stop using the drug.

The police actively intervene in underage drug use to prevent children and young people from becoming drug users

The police want to reduce drug-related deaths and the grief and sorrow associated with drug use. 

Drug addiction is a serious health problem with a high level of harm to individuals, their loved ones and society as a whole. 

“Two of my relatives have become addicted to drugs, and I have lost one relative to addiction. Seeing my relatives get hooked on drugs has had a permanent impact on me. I have to deal with my emotions on a daily basis, which takes a toll on me both mentally and physically. It helps to know that I am not alone, even though sometimes I feel alone – for example, when I need to make a decision," says Tiia Naukkarinen, who volunteers for Irti Huumeista Ry, an organisation that helps people to stop using drugs. 

It is in everyone’s interest to help people who are battling drug addiction – and also to help their relatives. This can reduce and prevent drug use and the harm it causes.

The police do not fine minors for a first drug offence, but an interview is arranged as quickly as possible after a person under 18 is caught. The interview is attended by the police, the social welfare and health authority and the young person's guardian(s). In addition to the interview, the young person is referred for substance abuse treatment, and the police file a child protection report.

The police call for realism and a focus on safety in social discourse

According to Statistics Finland, 310 people died from drug-related causes in 2023. Almost one in three drug-related deaths were among people under 25. The number of deaths reached a record high and has been rising steadily.

According to THL, attitudes towards drug use have been becoming more moderate for a long time. A population survey conducted in 2022 revealed that nearly half (47%) of young adults aged 25–34 had tried cannabis at some point in their lives.

In addition, studies of wastewater unambiguously show an increase in drug use in Finland.

Rising drug use and the associated harms will become more visible on the streets if the trend cannot be reversed.

Specific solutions to the problem of drugs, such as rooms for taking drugs, have been put forward to help reduce the health impacts and costs. However, from a police perspective, these could have the effect of increasing disorder and crime, and certainly would not reduce the growing use of drugs, which is at the root of the problem.  

Police operations are uncovering Alpha-PVP now, but new substances always emerge. Tangible measures should be identified in order to halt the growth in the number of drug users. 

Public discourse has focused on the legalisation of some drugs and the development of environments that are generally uncontrolled with respect to illegal drugs. 

“The public debate on drugs is too positive. In Finland, there is no such thing as the non-criminal use of drugs – recreational or otherwise. Most of the drugs that are sold and used come from abroad. Organised crime groups reap the benefits of the wholesale trade. Using drugs, on the other hand, is expensive. It is often financed by committing various crimes and selling drugs," says Police Chief Jari Liukku. 

Street-level drug dealing and use lead to public disorder, which is generally associated with various forms of violent and other crime. It affects people involved in the distribution and use of drugs, but increasingly also bystanders and certain professional groups. 

The diversity of harms caused by drugs affects an increasingly wide range of people, and combating the consequent safety, health and social issues demands increasing resources from society. 

“The key to overall safety is to stop the steady increase in the number of drug users. The police have their role and core tasks, but stopping the problem from growing requires a change in communication and attitudes,” continues Police Chief Jari Liukku. 

The police alone cannot solve the drug problem. A comprehensive study should be conducted to analyse the drug situation in Finland and assess the necessary measures. The situation should be examined at least in terms of safety, adverse health effects, social problems and economic costs. 

More info

• National Police Board of Finland: Use and seizures of the highly dangerous alpha-PVP narcotic have increased - Police
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