Drug poisonings, meaning fatal overdoses, claimed 209 lives in Finland last year. One fifth of the people who died were under 25. Organisations working in the substance use field are calling for quick and concrete action to prevent these deaths.

According to Ron Furman, Executive Director of Tukikohta ry, most drug related deaths could be prevented. “We need services that aim for a drug free life, but we also need harm reduction services at the same time,” Furman said. “Harm reduction services, such as consumption rooms, do not mean promoting drug use. They show that we care about people who use drugs and want to help them stay alive even if they are not yet ready to stop. A person who has died cannot be helped by any service.”

Support is difficult to access
Organisations working in substance use treatment say they are seriously worried about the current situation. “Access to treatment is delayed, treatment places are being cut and treatment periods are getting shorter. People in increasingly vulnerable situations are left without the support they need,” said Mirva Suutarinen, Executive Director of Stop Huumeille ry. “Everyone has the right to receive high quality care at the moment they need it most. The treatment path must not break off too early.”

A survey carried out last year among the relatives of people who died from drug use highlighted the same problem. “The most painful part of my loved one’s death was that this happened despite every attempt to get help. One month earlier there was another try to enter treatment, without success,” one respondent said.

“The best little brother in the world, whom I loved and love with all my heart”
Behind every number in overdose statistics is a person who was loved by someone. “I want to remember him as a lively, smiling little boy who went fishing at the cottage with his granddad and watched the Moomins. The best little brother in the world, whom I loved and love with all my heart every single day despite everything,” said one person who had lost a family member to a drug related death in the survey.

Events in memory of people who have died due to drugs or other substances
The traditional memorial event for people who died due to drug use was held yesterday at Helsinki’s Old Church on 4 November at 18.00. The gathering honoured those who lost their lives as a result of drug use and included candle lighting in their memory. The event was organised by Tukikohta ry, Irti Huumeista ry, KRAN rf, Stop Huumeille ry, Sininauhaliitto, A-klinikkasäätiö, Riippuvuudet ry and the Helsinki Cathedral Parish.

Memorial events are held across Finland around All Saints’ Day. This year they are being organised in at least 20 locations. More information and the option to light a virtual star in memory of someone who died due to substances are available at www.vaiettumenetys.fi.

Find more from Sininauhaliitto (Finland, November 2025)

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