Municipalities and wellbeing services counties in the Helsinki capital region are launching a joint sticker campaign in buses and trains this spring to help prevent drug and substance-related deaths. The campaign, running from 27 April to 24 May 2026, directs people to the Finnish Red Cross website for information on how to recognise substance poisoning symptoms and how to give first aid.

The campaign involves Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kerava, Kauniainen, the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County, and the Vantaa and Kerava Wellbeing Services County. Stickers will be visible on key train and bus routes, while information will also be shared through municipal and wellbeing services offices and digital channels.

The message is clear: many poisoning deaths can be prevented if symptoms are recognised early enough. In Finland, drug-related deaths are often caused by poisoning linked to the combined use of intoxicating substances, such as medicines, alcohol and drugs. The most common combination behind drug deaths is the use of opioids together with benzodiazepines. Serious symptoms can include clear warning signs such as convulsions, but also less obvious signs, such as extreme tiredness. A typical life-threatening situation can occur when a heavily intoxicated person goes to sleep and is at risk of dying from respiratory depression or choking.

The campaign also highlights the wider human impact of substance use. It notes that substance use affects not only the person using substances, but also their families, friends and communities. In Finland, an estimated one million people are affected by a loved one’s substance use, and THL has estimated that 89,000 children under 18 have had one or both biological parents with a serious substance problem at some point before the child reached adulthood. The issue is especially urgent among young people: Finland has an exceptionally high share of drug deaths among people under 25 compared with other European countries, and nearly one in five deaths among 15 to 24-year-olds is still caused by drugs.

Find more from Helsingin kaupunki (Finland, April 2026)