Public expenditures on drug-related harms in Finland in 2006

Aims: There is an over 10-year tradition of calculating drug and alcohol costs in Finland. The Finnish calculation framework was developed by Ritva Hein and Jukka Salomaa (Salomaa 1995; 1996; Hein & Salomaa 1998; 1999) in the 1990s. The idea of calculating drug and alcohol-related costs was generated by the fact that in Finland there were, and still are, very few public expenditures which are labelled. The Finnish way to calculate drug-related costs is more a study of budgetary impacts of drug-related harm on government and local authorities as well as pension and insurance companies, rather than a traditional cost of illness study.

Method: The calculation framework consists of three stages: First stage is defining the drug-related harms. Second is estimating how much the fraction of drugs is for each of the harms. Third is collecting fiscal year's financial statement and budget figures, and calculating the costs caused by drug-related harms. Methods used in calculating the drug-related expenditures include analysis of year-end-reports of ministries, authorities and organisations, as well as state and municipal sector budgets, and utilisation of statistical databases and registers. Also expert assessments and separate studies are being used.

Results: The total costs of drug-related harms were approximately 239 million EUR in Finland in 2006. Drug-related social care costs were almost one third (31%) of the total drug-related expenditures. Costs of maintaining public order and safety (police, rescue services and customs) were over 25 percent of the total costs, and drug-related health care costs were only 16 percent. Basically, the costs of drug-related harms form only a small proportion of the total health care budget (0,3%) or total social care budget (0,2%). Drug-related costs per problem drug user (estimated 14.500–19.100 users) were approximately 14.200 EUR, and per capita 45 EUR.

Literatur: Hein, Ritva & Salomaa, Jukka (1998): Päihteiden käytön haittakustannukset vuosina 1994-1995. Alkoholi ja huumeet. [The costs of substance abuse. Alcohol and drugs.] Tilastoraportti/Statistical report 4/1998. STAKES. Hein, Ritva & Salomaa, Jukka (1999): What are the costs of substance abuse? Alcohol and drugs. Alcologia 11(3):135-143. Salomaa, Jukka (1995): The costs of detrimental effects of alcohol abuse have grown faster than alcohol consumption in Finland. Addiction 90(4):525-537. Salomaa, Jukka (1996): Huumausaineiden aiheuttamat haittakustannukset Suomessa vuonna 1994. [The costs of drug- related harms in Finland in 1994.] Aiheita 35/1996. STAKES.