New designer drugs to be subject to control

The Government decree on substances, preparations and plants considered as narcotics (543/2008) will be amended by adding four new strong opioids from the so-called nitazenes group to national control as narcotics. At the same time, a second decree issued under the Narcotics Act, i.e. the Decree on psychoactive substances prohibited from the consumer market (1130/2014), will be amended by removing one substance that will be classified as a narcotic and adding 16 new substances that have been identified in Europe and used as designer drugs.   

Under the Narcotics Act, it is possible to assess the properties of modified drugs and medicinal substances nationally, in which case the decision on classification as a narcotic is made by the Government. At national level, the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea together with the police, Customs and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare is responsible for assessing the properties of these substances. Similarly, substances can also be added to  control as psychoactive substances prohibited from the consumer market.  

Four substances will be added to the Government decree on substances, preparations and plants considered as narcotics.   

The following synthetic nitazenes group opioids will be classified as narcotics in Finland in the future:   

• Fluetonitazene  
• Fluetonitazenepyne  
• Isobutonitazene   
• Isobutonitazenepyne  

From 2019, the abuse of 23 different types of nitazenes has already emerged in Europe, and the adverse effects of these substances have also been reported in Finland. In the future, all detected substances in the nitazenes group will be monitored in Finland either as narcotics or as psychoactive substances prohibited from the consumer market, as the Government decree on psychoactive substances prohibited on the consumer market will also be amended. 16 new substances will be added to the Decree (1130/2014), one of which is a new nitazene. At the same time, one of the aforementioned nitazenes which will be classified as a narcotic will be removed from the decree. All new substances added to the decrees have been reported for the first time in the Early Warning System maintained by the European Drugs Agency (EUDA) during 2024 or 2025.  

Not all substances to be classified have been identifiedin Finland. The substances do not have known industrial or pharmaceutical uses. The new psychoactive substances prohibited from the consumer market are listed in the table.  

The amendment to the Government decree on substances, preparations and plants considered as narcotics (543/2008) will enter into force on 25 April 2025 and the Decree on psychoactive substances prohibited from the consumer market (1130/2014) on 5 May 2025.  

Nitazenes group opioids have been detected in counterfeit medicines  

A particular concern over the past couple of years is the increased presence of strong nitazenes in counterfeit medicinal products. At least counterfeit oxycodone and buprenorphine preparations have also been found on the illegal market in Finland, containing strong nitazene instead of oxycodone or buprenorphine. Counterfeit alprazolam tablets containing nitazene have also been found in Europe.  

In practice, it is often impossible to visually distinguish counterfeit medicinal products and their packaging. The content of the preparations can only be verified in laboratory studies.   

Preparations typically obtained from illicit market for abuse present serious risks, especially if the product contains highly hazardous nitazenes instead of the claimed medicinal substance. Nitazenes may have an effect even with very low doses. There is a very high risk of serious and life-threatening adverse effects, such as respiratory depression, occurring from even small erroneous or unintentional dosing.   

Fimea grants licences under the Narcotics Act   

The objective of the Narcotics Act is to prevent the illegal import, export, manufacture, distribution and use of narcotics in Finland and to reduce the health risks caused by other abused substances.   

The manufacture, import, export, transport, transit, distribution, trade, handling, possession and use of a substance classified as a narcotic is prohibited. These will only be permitted in certain cases and are subject to authorisation. Fimea grants licences in accordance with the Narcotics Act and the decrees on precursors of narcotics.   

The manufacture, import into Finland, storage, marketing and giving of substances prohibited from the consumer market are all prohibited.  

Government plenary session 10 April 2025  

Government decree on substances, preparations and plants considered as narcotics (543/2008, Finlex)   

The Government decree on psychoactive substances banned from the consumer market (1130/2014, Finlex)    

New psychoactive substances prohibited on the consumer market (Government decree 1130/2014, will enter into force on 5 May 2025) (PDF, fimea.fi)