Healthcare services across Finland are under mounting pressure from a surge in use of the synthetic stimulant alpha-PVP, known on the streets as "peukku".
Hospitals, psychiatric wards, and drug support centres are reporting growing numbers of patients suffering from severe side effects linked to the drug, including psychosis, cardiovascular problems, and violent behaviour.
Dr Tuuli Kormano, chief addiction specialist for the wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland, said peukku creates an extreme psychological and physical dependency.
“The withdrawal symptoms are so intense that many users relapse immediately,” she said. “We’re seeing dangerous cases daily.”
Peukku, a powerful stimulant similar to cathinones, has become increasingly visible in emergency departments over the past 18 months. Common complications include brain haemorrhages, seizures, muscle breakdown, heart attacks, and hyperthermia.
Psychotic episodes triggered by the drug are difficult to treat. Kormano estimates that at least a quarter of users who experience stimulant-induced psychosis later develop chronic psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia.
In Turku, the Mäntymäki detox and sobering centre has been expanded to handle rising numbers of stimulant users. Staff report that peukku users often arrive in acute psychological distress, sometimes requiring intensive care.
The National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) confirmed in July that police had seized over eight kilograms of alpha-PVP this year. A major production and distribution network was also dismantled, resulting in several arrests in southern Finland.
According to Dr Margareeta Häkkinen, senior forensic specialist at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), alpha-PVP users present with more severe physical damage than those using other stimulants.
“We’re seeing serious injection-related injuries, infections, and a sharp increase in psychiatric symptoms such as paranoia, panic attacks, and hallucinations,” she said.
Häkkinen added that the drug's use correlates with spikes in assault cases, suicides, and homicide investigations. She expressed concern over its spread into recreational use, particularly among middle-class partygoers.
“Amphetamine is increasingly being replaced by more potent stimulants,” she said. “For some reason, peukku has taken root in Finland more permanently than elsewhere.”
Despite the severity of the crisis, few specialised treatment options are available. Kormano and Häkkinen both pointed out that while opioid replacement therapy is widely used, there are limited protocols for treating stimulant addiction.
“Even when people are motivated to seek help, inpatient care is hard to access and outpatient services are insufficient,” Häkkinen said.
One of the few support networks available is V-S Sininauha in Turku, where Marko Virtanen, a former user, now works as a peer support worker. He said his withdrawal was only successful while in prison.
“The worst withdrawal symptoms force you back to the drug,” Virtanen said. “It doesn’t feel like you have a choice.”
Häkkinen called for urgent investment in substance abuse treatment. She warned that underfunding services now would result in higher long-term costs for the entire healthcare system.
“We must act now,” she said. “These are not isolated cases. This is a national emergency.”
HT
