Police:The drug situation in Lahti has deteriorated further – drug-related offences increased dramatically, especially among young people

In particular, amphetamine use in Lahti is high compared to the rest of the country. According to the Häme police, the quantities of drugs seized in individual seizures are clearly higher than in the past.

The drug situation in Lahti has worsened further, says the Häme police.

Lahti has for years had a dubious reputation as Finland’s amphetamine capital

Kilos seized on the rise

The number of kilos of drugs seized has also increased elsewhere. In 2024, Customs seized a total of 2 052 kilos of drugs, compared to 769 kilos in 2020.

From 2023 to 2024, the number of seizures of marijuana, amphetamine, cocaine and conversion drugs increased the most.

– In addition to traditional drugs, 130 different drugs are seized in Finland, about 15 of which have not been observed in the country before.

So Sinkkonen also sees the danger of the buyer that the buyer may not always know what to get.

Commissioner: statistics do not tell the whole truth

Häme police have no accurate annual statistics on the number of drugs seized in the Lahti region. However, Criminal Commissioner Toni Käyhkö emphasizes that the number of drugs under investigation and wounds in the police has been increasing.

In recent years, the Häme Police preliminary investigations have repeatedly explored the spread of dozens of amphetamine kilos.

In recent years, the total number of aggravated drug offenses in the police has even fallen in Häme in recent years. Police recorded a total of 1,773 drug offenses in Häme last year. In 2020 there were more than 2,400 drug offenses.

– Statistics do not tell the whole truth. Total statistics do not indicate the amount of drugs in a single drug offense. As a whole, the drug situation seems to have deteriorated further, Kyyhkö explains.

Drug-related offences among young people increased

Käyhkö is also concerned about increased drug offenses for young people. According to Häme police, the use of drugs under the age of 15 even doubled from six to twelve between 2021 and 2024. During the corresponding period, drug offenses for 15-17 year olds increased from three to 26.

– Drug users are younger and substances are increasingly available.

According to Käyhkö, drugs traded in Finland mainly come from abroad.

– The most worrying is the cross -border crime of drug trafficking. This should be much more intensely addressed.

Käyhkö says that drug crime is often accompanied by violence and firearms.

– In practice, it is a matter of mutualization of criminals and safeguarding their own activities, says Käyhkö.

Increased crime must be taken particularly seriously

According to Varja, young people should have more easy -to -reach low -threshold services.

– Services should work on the so -called one -stop shop, so that the young person does not fall between different services.

According to Vaija, one of the key reasons for increasing drug crime in young people is that drug availability has increased and attitudes towards drugs have become more permissive.

– Crime can also appear to some as a way to make money.

Thus, correcting the situation requires both support for young people who are already using drugs and strong preventive work. According to Vaija, schools play a key role in preventive intoxication.

– Multidisciplinary collaboration requires remedy. Not only is the activity enough to be sufficiently resourced but also carefully designed to provide sustainable results, Vaija sums up.

*THL will announce the results of the National Wastewater Survey of 2024, as well as the results of the 2025 follow -up in the coming weeks.*