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Finland Country Drug Report 2017

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Finland Country Drug Report 2017 Finland Country Drug Report 2017 Contents: At a glance | National drug strategy and coordination (p. 2) | Public expenditure (p. 3) | Drug laws and drug law offences (p. 4) | Drug use (p. 5) | Drug harms (p. 8) | Prevention (p. 10) | Harm reduction (p. 11) | Treatment (p. 12) | Drug use and responses in prison (p. 14) | Quality assurance (p. 15) | Drug-related research (p. 15) | Drug markets (p. 16) | Key drug statistics for Finland (p. 18) | EU Dashboard (p. 20) THE DRUG PROBLEM IN FINLAND AT A GLANCE Drug use Treatment entrants Overdose deaths Drug law offences in young adults (15-34 years) by primary drug in the last year 250 Cannabis 200 23 478 166 150 13.5 % Top 5 drugs seized 100 ranked according to quantities Cannabis, 21% 50 measured in kilograms Amphetamines, 15 % Cocaine, 0 % 0 1. Amphetamine 2011 2012 2013 2015 2014 Opioids, 52 % 2010 2007 2008 2006 9 % 17.9 % 2009 Other, 12 % 2. Herbal cannabis Other drugs Opioid substitution HIV diagnoses 3. Cannabis resin MDMA 2.5 % treatment clients attributed to injecting 4. Cocaine Amphetamines 2.4 % 14 5. Heroin Cocaine 1 % 12 3 000 10 Population 8 (15-64 years) 6 7 High-risk opioid users Syringes distributeddistributed 4 through specialised 2 3 483 757 programmes 0 13 836 2011 2012 2013 2015 2014 2010 2007 2008 2006 2009 Source: EUROSTAT (12 700 - 15 090) 5 301 000 Source: ECDC Extracted on: 26/03/2017 NB: Data presented here are either national estimates (prevalence of use, opioid drug users) or reported numbers through the EMCDDA indicators (treatment clients, syringes, deaths and HIV diagnosis, drug law offences and seizures). Detailed information on methodology and caveats and comments on the limitations in the information set available can be found in the EMCDDA Statistical Bulletin. 1 Country Drug Report 2017 — Finland About this report This report presents the top-level overview of the drug An interactive version of this publication, containing links to phenomenon in Finland, covering drug supply, use and online content, is available in PDF, EPUB and HTML format: public health problems as well as drug policy and responses. www.emcdda.europa.eu/countries The statistical data reported relate to 2015 (or most recent year) and are provided to the EMCDDA by the national focal point, unless stated otherwise. National drug strategy Policy Coordination Group completed the evaluation of and coordination the Government Resolution on the Action Plan to Reduce Drug Use and Related Harm 2012-15. It reviewed the National drug strategy implementation of the action plan and the drug situation and made recommendations for the development of the The 1997 National Drugs Strategy sets the principles 2016-19 action plan. Final implementation reviews of the and objectives of Finland’s drug policy, and subsequent 2004-07 and 2008-11 action plans were completed. government resolutions have outlined actions for specific periods. Following resolutions for the periods 2004-07, 2008-11 and 2012-15, a new resolution covers the period National coordination mechanisms 2016-19. This is focused primarily on illicit drugs and covers five themes: (i) national coordination of drug policy; In Finland, the National Drug Policy Coordination Group (ii) prevention and early intervention; (iii) addressing drug- is responsible for inter-ministerial coordination. It is related crime; (iv) drug treatment and harm reduction; and attached to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and is (v) EU drug policy and international cooperation (Figure composed of representatives from all relevant ministries 1). Alongside the Government Resolution on Drug Policy involved in the area of drug use. The National Institute (2016-19), Finland has a separate Action Plan on Alcohol, for Health and Welfare (THL) supports the Coordination Tobacco, Drugs and Gambling Prevention, which was Group and is a research and development institute under launched in December 2015. the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The THL develops and directs drug prevention and is responsible for strategic Like other European countries, Finland evaluates its drug and operational coordination on drug issues nationally in policy and strategy by ongoing indicator monitoring and cooperation with other authorities. Each municipality has specific research projects. In 2016, the National Drug a substance use worker who coordinates local actions, mainly in the field of prevention. These substance use workers are coordinated by provincial governments, which FIGURE 1 are guided by the THL. Provincial governments have cross- sectoral working groups for alcohol and drug issues, which Focus of national drug strategy documents: illicit drugs or broader coordinate and supervise the implementation of actions by the municipalities. Illicit drugs focus Broader focus Finland Alongside the Government Illicit drugs focus Resolution on Drug Policy (2016-19), Finland has a separate Action Plan on Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs and Gambling Prevention, which was launched in December 2015 NB: Year of data 2015. Strategies with broader focus may include, for example, licit drugs and other addictions. 2 Country Drug Report 2017 — Finland Public expenditure FIGURE 2 Public expenditure related to illicit drugs in Finland Understanding the costs of drug-related actions is an important aspect of drug policy. Some of the funds Supply reduction, 62 % allocated by governments for expenditure to tasks related Demand reduction, 38% to drugs are identified as such in the budget (‘labelled’). Often, however, the majority of drug-related expenditure is not identified (‘unlabelled’) and must be estimated by modelling approaches. Drug-related public expenditure The Finnish government approves an annual drug budget is around 0.2 % that is in line with its drug strategy and action plan. Annual of Finland’s estimates of expenditures are also provided and include GDP both labelled and unlabelled expenditures. The most recent available data on public expenditure in Finland are for 2013, when total drug-related expenditure represented NB: Based on estimates of Finland’s labelled and unlabelled public 0.2 % of gross domestic product (GDP), which was expenditure in 2013. approximately EUR 412 000. Of this, 62 % was spent on public order and safety, 25 % on social protection and 13 % on healthcare (Figure 2). In 2013, total drug-related public expenditure in Finland remained broadly unchanged in real terms (it increased by 1 %) compared with 2012; however, it increased by 2.4 % in nominal terms. 3 Country Drug Report 2017 — Finland Drug laws and drug law offences FIGURE 4 Reported drug law offences and offenders in Finland National drug laws The central framework for drug legislation in Finland is based Drug law offences Drug law offenders on the Narcotics Act. The provisions for drug offences are laid 22 707 down in Chapter 50 of the Penal Code. The use of drugs and the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use constitute drug use offences that are punishable by a fine or a maximum of six months’ imprisonment (Figure 3). Prosecution and punishment can be waived if the offence is considered 23 478 insignificant, or if the offender has sought treatment specified by the Decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Use/possession, 93 % Drug offences include possession (whether for personal use or Supply, 7 % supply), manufacturing, growing, smuggling, selling and dealing. There is no specific offence of dealing or trafficking. The penalties NB: Year of data 2015. for a drug offence range from a fine to a maximum of two years’ imprisonment, while an aggravated drug offence is punishable by 1-10 years’ imprisonment. Aggravating circumstances for a drug offence include the involvement of substances considered Drug law offences as ‘very dangerous’; large quantities of drugs; considerable Drug law offence (DLO) data are the foundation for financial profit; or if the offender acts as a member of a group that monitoring drug/related crime, and they are also a measure has been organised for the express purpose of committing such of law enforcement activity and drug markets dynamics; they an offence. may be used to inform policies on the implementation of drug laws and to improve strategies. In 2014, the Narcotics Act was amended to address both narcotics and ‘psychoactive substances banned from the In 2015, Finland reported an increase in the total number consumer market’, known as new psychoactive substances of DLOs, which continued a rising trend observed over (NPS). These substances are listed in a government decree the previous decade. Approximately 9 out of 10 DLOs following a defined procedure of evaluation, and unauthorised were drug use related (Figure 4) and the data indicate a supply is classed as an offence endangering health and safety, continuous increase in the proportion of these offences. This punishable by up to one year in prison according to Chapter 44 is attributed to enhanced efficiency of control mechanisms, of the Penal Code. the growing popularity of home-grown cannabis and the increase in its use, and to the smuggling of medicines. FIGURE 3 Legal penalties: the possibility of incarceration for possession of drugs for personal use (minor offence) For any minor drug possession Not for minor cannabis possession, but possible for other Finland drug possession For any minor Not for minor drug possession drug possession NB: Year of data 2015. 4 Country Drug Report 2017 — Finland Drug use Since 2012, Helsinki and Turku have participated in the Europe-wide annual wastewater campaigns undertaken by Prevalence and trends the Sewage Analysis Core Group Europe (SCORE). In 2016, a further 12 Finnish cities joined the campaign. This study In Finland, use of all major illicit substances has increased provides data on drug use at a community level, based on over the last decade among the adult general population. the levels of different illicit drugs and their metabolites in Cannabis, mainly in herbal forms, remains the most sources of wastewater.
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