Finland's Safety Investigation Authority (Otkes) said it plans to start investigating drug-related deaths among people under the age of 25.
The investigation will, according to Otkes, focus on accidental drug-related deaths occurring during the course of this year. The study will seek to identify underlying factors contributing to drug-related deaths among young people.
Otkes will also investigate what type of treatment young drug users are receiving in the newly-formed wellbeing service counties. The study will examine the roles of different authorities in the prevention of youth drug deaths. Improving general safety is the overarching purpose of the investigation, according to Otkes.
In proportion to its population, Finland is one of the leading countries in Europe in terms of the number of drug-related deaths among young people.
The substances behind Finland's drug deaths are most often a mix of the opiate buprenorphine (Subutex), alcohol and sedatives.
Finland had the highest proportion of drug-related deaths among under-25s in EU countries in 2020, according to a 2022 report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).