Deadly liquid benzodiazepines spreading in Helsinki drug market, warns rapid drug alert network

A Finnish drug prevention network has issued a warning about a surge in counterfeit benzodiazepines—particularly in dangerous liquid form—flooding Helsinki’s illicit drug market, posing a heightened risk of fatal overdoses.

The Nopean huumetiedon verkosto (Nopsa), a rapid drug information network under the Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention (EHYT), reports that liquid benzodiazepines have suddenly become more common in Helsinki. These substances are often used alongside stimulants like cocaine or amphetamines to counteract their effects, but their potency and dosage are highly unpredictable.

Annuska Dal Mason, who coordinates the Nopsa network, warns that liquid benzodiazepines can be ingested, injected, or smoked, making accurate dosing nearly impossible. Intravenous use further increases the risk of accidental overdose, as even small amounts may contain dangerously high concentrations of the active compound.

“This isn’t a new issue, but it’s alarming because street purchases are completely random,” Dal Mason said. She noted that while some counterfeit pills may contain little to no active ingredient, others can be lethally potent.

Helsinki has Finland’s highest concentration of drug users and its most extensive illicit market. Benzodiazepines—often prescribed for anxiety or insomnia—are increasingly diverted or counterfeited, with some users turning to street sources when legal prescriptions are cut off. Authorities have seized tens of thousands of counterfeit tablets in recent months, some laced with opioids.

Dal Mason also highlighted the dangers of combining benzodiazepines with stimulants like alpha-PVP (a synthetic cathinone), which can induce extreme agitation or psychosis. Users may mistakenly believe they can control the effects, unaware of the compounded risks from mixing substances.

Counterfeit medications often mimic legitimate Finnish pharmaceutical packaging, making them difficult to distinguish. Some batches may contain filler with no active ingredient, while others are dangerously potent. Dal Mason stressed that labels provide no reliable indication of content or safety.

Earlier this year, Helsinki saw a resurgence of mikropiri, a thick, paste-like amphetamine mixture heated for injection—a practice with high fatality risks. There are also signs of crack cocaine use in the capital, which Dal Mason finds particularly concerning due to misconceptions about its relative harmlessness among younger users.

Nopsa collaborates with police, customs, and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) to monitor drug trends, relying on field reports from outreach workers. Wastewater analysis detects benzodiazepine use but cannot distinguish between legal and illicit consumption.

Dal Mason warned that the greatest risk comes from counterfeit pills smuggled into Finland, rather than diverted prescription medications, though some leakage from legal supplies also occurs.