Helsinki’s Culture and Leisure Committee approved the city’s Action Plan for Substance Use Prevention on 3 November 2026, bringing together key initiatives for 2026–2029. The plan aims to prevent the harmful effects of alcohol, drugs, tobacco and nicotine products, as well as gambling and online gaming. It sets out in more detail the prevention objectives of Helsinki’s Substance Use Strategy, adopted in the summer of 2026.
Seven focus areas
The plan provides common guidelines for developing substance use prevention in the coming years. Its seven focus areas are:
- substance use education and support for parents, loved ones and communities
- identification of at-risk groups and early support
- skills development and training
- substance-free environments, multi-disciplinary cooperation and community-based prevention
- service coordination and service pathways
- communication and work to reduce stigma
- knowledge-based management, monitoring and evaluation
In practice, this includes stronger substance use education for children and young people, early identification of problems linked to substance use, gambling and digital gaming, and training for professionals.
Who is involved
Sports clubs and physical activity organisations will be engaged in prevention and in reducing stigma towards people who use substances. Clubs, coaches and instructors will be offered training on substance use, early identification and intervention, and respectful encounters. Within its own services, the city will improve service practices, documentation and customer communications, and strengthen staff competence in non-discriminatory encounters.
The city is also developing the Pakka model, under which the local authority, public authorities, organisations, the business sector and residents work together to prevent substance- and gambling-related harms. Pakka is a Finnish research-based model that focuses on the availability of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products and games of chance. Measures already implemented in Helsinki include a survey on the state of substance use carried out every other year.
Prevention work is carried out jointly by the Culture and Leisure Division, the Education Division, and the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division.
Timing and monitoring
The approval coincides with the national Substance Use Prevention Week, held from 2 to 8 November 2026, whose theme this year is young people and nicotine. Progress on the measures will be monitored annually, and indicators tracking trends in substance-related harms will be used to assess effectiveness. Monitoring will also contribute to a shared picture of substance use and addiction in Helsinki, so that activities can respond to changing needs.