Cutting funding for substance harm prevention is a misguided value choice

17.09.2024 - Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's government program, "A strong and caring Finland," outlines a social and health policy goal of shifting the focus from corrective services toward earlier support, assistance, and prevention. However, the government is acting contrary to this by cutting the funding of three nationally comprehensive substance organizations – EHYT ry (Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention), A-Clinic Foundation, and Blue Ribbon – by €800,000.

On September 5, 2024, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health published a statement on the scope of funding cuts to social and health organizations for 2025. These cuts also broadly affect substance abuse and addiction organizations. EHYT ry, the A-Clinic Foundation, and the Blue Ribbon alone face cuts of over €800,000. In practice, these cuts could mean reducing operations aimed at preventing substance abuse among children and young people, as well as reducing support and assistance for those struggling with substance and gambling problems and their families.

The cuts targeted at substance abuse organizations are being made at a time when welfare areas are reducing their service offerings, extending waiting times for treatment, and shifting resources away from prevention. At the same time, the government has decided to significantly increase the availability of alcohol and new nicotine products. In addition, alcohol home delivery is to be permitted, and gambling marketing is likely to increase as the gaming system moves to a license-based model. Substance abuse organizations are calling for more responsible value choices from the government.

"When investing in substance harm prevention, we must keep things in perspective. Just the sale of alcohol in Finland amounts to nearly €5 billion. That same amount could fund the current operations of EHYT for almost 1,000 years. Alcohol and drugs are the biggest causes of years of life lost prematurely in most welfare areas," notes Juha Mikkonen, Executive Director of EHYT ry.

Funding for substance harm prevention must be secured

Increasing the availability of substances while cutting prevention funding also means abandoning proven cost-effective methods of preventing substance harm. In the current societal situation, directing funding cuts at organizations that work to prevent and reduce substance and gambling harm is not sustainable.

"When the core funding of organizations is reduced, it is clear that the pressure and demand for corrective substance services will increase even further. Cuts to preventive and harm-reducing activities are not savings – they will only increase costs in the future," emphasizes Jukka Koskelo, Director of Research and Development at the A-Clinic Foundation.

The general grant cuts announced by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, which amount to as much as 19%, primarily affect national organizations that can carry out impactful work across Finland. These across-the-board cuts fail to consider the societal need and cost-effectiveness of the activities supported. Cuts targeted at core funding threaten to paralyze the operations of organizations, and the price will be paid by Finns struggling with substance and gambling problems.

"Organizations understand the reality of substance use and gambling, can help people in difficult life situations, and at the same time bring an understanding of the harms into societal discussions and decision-making. Wouldn't it be beneficial if the voices of citizens experiencing harm, and not just those of industry and commerce, were heard in substance and gambling policy discussions?" stresses Pekka Lund, Executive Director of the Blue Ribbon.

Substance abuse organizations need long-term funding based on a realistic assessment of needs. When assessing funding needs, it is important to consider reducing health disparities between population groups and recognize substance abuse as a significant threat to the well-being and health of Finns.

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Source: EHYT ry