Cocaine use in Finland has increased across almost the entire country, according to new wastewater data published by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos, THL) on 3 September. While consumption remains highest in the large cities of southern Finland, the most significant increases are now being recorded outside the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The results come from THL’s latest nationwide wastewater study on drug use, based on samples collected in March 2026 from 32 cities and their surrounding areas. The monitoring covers around 65% of Finland’s population.
Cocaine use in Finland has increased for more than a decade
THL has monitored drug residues in wastewater since 2012. According to the institute, cocaine consumption has increased throughout the entire measurement period, and the upward trend remains strong.
“The Helsinki metropolitan area still has the highest use, but the biggest changes are now being seen elsewhere in Finland,” THL development manager Aino Kankaanpää said.
The geographical expansion has been developing for several years. In 2024, THL already found record or near-record cocaine levels in several cities outside the capital region. The latest results suggest that the trend has continued and spread more widely.
Some local differences are substantial. In southeastern Finland, for example, Yle reported that wastewater measurements in Lappeenranta showed cocaine use almost five times higher than in March 2024. Cocaine levels also increased considerably in Kotka and Kouvola.
The pattern is not uniform everywhere. In Kajaani, in northern Finland, cocaine levels remained broadly unchanged even as they increased in most of the country.
Amphetamine remains Finland’s most widely used stimulant
Despite the rise in cocaine, amphetamine remains the most widely used illicit stimulant across most of Finland. Average consumption has remained relatively stable in recent years, according to THL.
The situation differs in the Helsinki metropolitan area, where cocaine has previously overtaken amphetamine in wastewater measurements.
Meanwhile, MDMA, or ecstasy, appears to be declining, while methamphetamine consumption remains low on average.
The nationwide March sampling measures average use across all days of the week. THL also continuously monitors wastewater in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, with the latest data extending to the end of June 2026. Those samples are collected between Sunday and Monday mornings and therefore provide a stronger indication of weekend drug consumption.
Alpha-PVP use has stabilised at a high level
THL also reported a change in the use of alpha-PVP, a synthetic stimulant that has become one of the most prominent new psychoactive substances in Finland.
After several years of rapid growth, its use now appears to have stabilised, although at relatively high levels. Consumption remains strongly concentrated in southern and western Finland, particularly around the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Regular traces were also found throughout the week in cities including Salo, Hämeenlinna, Jyväskylä, Porvoo, Lahti, Pori, Mikkeli and Joensuu. By contrast, several cities in northern and eastern Finland recorded only occasional small quantities or none at all.
THL notes that new psychoactive substances such as alpha-PVP tend to show greater geographical and short-term fluctuations than more established drugs.
Wastewater gives a broader picture of Finnish drug use
Finland has used wastewater monitoring since 2012 to estimate drug consumption at population level. The method measures residues reaching sewage treatment plants and provides data independent of police seizures, surveys or healthcare records.
THL says wastewater monitoring can therefore identify changes in consumption patterns relatively quickly. Finland’s system is also connected to international monitoring coordinated by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA).
The latest results point to two different developments in Finland’s stimulant market. Alpha-PVP’s rapid rise appears to have levelled off, while cocaine continues a growth trend that has now lasted for more than a decade and is increasingly visible well beyond Helsinki.
