Cocaine use rising across most of Finland – THL wastewater study
A THL wastewater study shows that cocaine use has increased in nearly all parts of Finland since 2012. Amphetamine use has remained steady, while ecstasy appears to be declining.
Cocaine use rising across Finland – greatest changes outside the capital region
Cocaine use has increased across nearly all of Finland, according to a comprehensive wastewater study by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Hämeen Sanomat reported on the results, which show that growth has continued throughout the entire measurement history since 2012.
Cocaine use remains highest in major cities in Southern Finland. Aino Kankaanpää, development manager at THL, states in the institute's press release that use remains highest in the capital region, but the most significant changes are now being observed elsewhere in Finland.
Amphetamine use levels have remained steady. Ecstasy use, by contrast, appears to be declining according to the study, whilst methamphetamine use remains generally low on average.
The results published by THL are based on a collection period in March across more than 30 cities and their surrounding areas. The study covers approximately 65 per cent of Finland's population. Continuous wastewater monitoring results from Helsinki, Tampere and Turku have additionally been published up to the end of June of the current year.
Growth in use of the synthetic drug alpha-PVP has levelled off, but usage levels have stabilised at what THL considers to be rather high. Use is clearly concentrated in Southern and Western Finland.
– In several cities in Northern and Eastern Finland, alpha-PVP was detected only in small amounts sporadically or not at all, estimates Teemu Gunnar, forensic toxicology team leader at THL, in the press release.
THL assesses that alpha-PVP use is characterised by greater temporal and geographical variation than traditional drugs of abuse. The substance was classified as a drug of abuse in Finland at the end of 2013 and remains the most common novel psychoactive substance encountered widely in drug use in the country. High doses have been found to cause confusion, hyperactivity, hallucinations, psychosis and unpredictable violent behaviour.
Source: Hämeen Sanomat