Young people: Asking about substance use shows you care

Asking a young person about drugs can be the beginning of help, not an accusation, two Finnish substance-use professionals write.

Drug deaths have increased over the long term in Finland, while experimentation and use have become more common. The number of young people using drugs problematically has also grown.

Yet conversations about substance use do not happen consistently outside the home. A 2024 survey conducted for young people by the preventive substance-use unit of the Vantaa and Kerava wellbeing services county found that they were asked particularly rarely about drug use.

The writers, Jenna Brisk of the Elämä edellä project and Mia Risberg of Diakonissalaitos, say adults who work with young people need to recognize signs of concern early. They should raise the subject naturally and without making the young person feel blamed.

That responsibility extends beyond specialist substance-use services. Teachers, social workers, instructors and other adults encountered at school, in hobbies and during free time all have a role. The 2025 School Health Promotion Study found that most young people felt able to discuss the issue with their parents, while teachers were also seen as interested in their lives. The writers say asking about substance use should not be feared, whatever the young person’s situation.

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Asking about substance use can be the beginning of help, whatever the young person’s situation.