“The threat of violence can stay on your mind for a long time”

Drugs and problems related to them are more visible than before in everyday life in large cities. The problems are now also spreading to many workplaces in the service sector.

Sami Enonkoski, occupational safety representative at Securitas, says that situations where security guards need to use force have become more common. According to him, drugs are a key reason.

— Most problem situations are still solved by talking, but increasingly they escalate quickly. It may be enough to say “Hello”. The connection to drugs is clear. During security checks, various small bags are often found in the pockets of people who are detained, he explains.

Securitas guards patrol, for example, in shopping centres. Typical problem situations include shoplifting and disruptive behaviour.

Katri Ranula, chief union representative at the department store chain Rusta, has also noticed that reports from workplaces about drug-related situations have clearly increased during the past year.

— There are more shoplifting cases where the customer behaves in a threatening and confused manner. In our stores there are still fewer such situations than in many other retail chains, because our shops are often located on the outskirts of cities where public transport connections are not as good, Ranula says.

In Rusta stores, shoplifters are especially interested in expensive cosmetics and trendy products such as hair curling irons. Ranula suspects that shop thefts are often carried out on demand. A worrying trend mentioned by both Enonkoski and Ranula is the use of tools as weapons. Shoplifters are increasingly carrying knives or even axes.

Drug use has clearly increased

Wastewater studies confirm what people observe in everyday life.

— Drugs really are used more than before, says Teemu Gunnar, team manager of forensic toxicology and a leading specialist at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

The use of alpha-PVP, also called “peukku”, has increased especially strongly. Wastewater data show that in 2024 its use was about five times higher than in 2013. Cocaine use in the Helsinki metropolitan area is now about 20 times higher than in 2013. The use of opioids, which are depressants, has developed more steadily.

— Regional differences are large. Alpha-PVP is found especially in southern and south-western Finland, while it has hardly been seen in eastern and northern Finland. Cocaine use is also concentrated in large cities such as Turku, Tampere and especially the Helsinki metropolitan area, Gunnar explains.

Wastewater studies show that cocaine residues increase in sewers during weekends. This suggests that cocaine is often used occasionally as a party drug.

The increase in drug use is explained both by availability and by more relaxed attitudes. In social media messaging services it is easy to buy a dose.

— According to surveys, clearly more people than before think that drugs can be used in a moderate way without causing problems, says Sanna Rönkä, senior specialist at THL.

More training is needed

In Rusta stores the staffing level is often minimal, meaning two sales assistants. When a situation becomes threatening, the colleague may be on the other side of the store.

The chain has instructions for threatening situations. According to Ranula, in reality it may not be as easy as it looks on paper to leave the situation.

— Employees would like more training for these situations. How should you deal with a customer who is under the influence of drugs? How do different drugs affect a person’s behaviour? Ranula asks.

Security guards already learn how to deal with intoxicated people during their professional training, but Enonkoski says that additional training would still be useful.

— We have one legally required training day each year on the use of force. At the same time we also revise first aid skills. More training is needed, for example, on how to deal with intoxicated people.

More resources should be invested in prevention, reducing social inequality and treating substance abuse problems.

Some Securitas employees attend courses voluntarily in their own time.

According to Enonkoski, Securitas also has a written guide about the threat of violence at work. The instructions include, for example, signs that a person may be using intoxicating substances.

The threat of violence can stay on your mind for a long time. Employees at Rusta can talk with a professional in occupational health care about their experiences. However, according to Ranula, few people do this.

— The employer could encourage employees more to seek support.

Ensuring the safety of employees is the employer’s responsibility. Ranula and Enonkoski also say that society as a whole shares responsibility for the current situation. More resources should be invested in prevention, reducing social inequality and treating substance abuse problems.

THL is currently preparing a guide that will include instructions on how to deal with intoxicated people. It will be published at the end of 2026.

For this article, superintendent Hanna Kiiskinen from the Helsinki Police Department was also interviewed.

Text: Anu Vallinkoski
Photos: Getty Images

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