Finland’s largest substance use prevention NGO says its entire operation is at risk

31.08.2026 - EHYT Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention has announced restructuring negotiations covering its entire workforce, warning that anticipated cuts to government funding could threaten the organisation’s continued existence. According to EHYT, government grants to social welfare and health organisations are being reduced by €194 million during the current government term, while several organisations have already received preliminary information that their general grants may be abolished or significantly reduced.

EHYT says its nationwide prevention and outreach work depends on the basic infrastructure financed through its general grant, including financial and personnel administration, communications, training, materials and the fulfilment of its responsibilities as an employer. If the general grant and some targeted grants are discontinued from January 2027, the organisation says it would be unable to cover obligations such as six-month notice periods, holiday compensation and existing contractual commitments.

The consequences would extend well beyond EHYT’s internal administration. According to the organisation, its substance use education in schools and educational institutions could end, its 24-hour Päihdeneuvonta helpline for people experiencing substance-related problems and their families could close, its Elokolo community centres could shut their doors, and its work to prevent gambling-related harm could cease. Last year, EHYT reached more than 22,000 children and young people through substance use education, recorded almost 50,000 visits to Elokolo centres and handled more than 10,000 calls through its round-the-clock counselling service. It also supports the voluntary activities of 135 member organisations.

EHYT argues that the problem is not only the scale of the cuts but also the way they may be implemented. STEA funding is generally granted for one year at a time, and EHYT says organisations may receive no transitional funding to wind down activities in a controlled manner. At the same time, restrictions prevent organisations from freely transferring money between different STEA-funded activities. EHYT is therefore calling for organisations to be allowed greater flexibility in deciding where reductions are made, for essential infrastructure supporting direct services to be protected, and for funding decisions to take employers’ statutory obligations into account.

“Without corrective measures, the equation is practically impossible,” EHYT Executive Director Juha Mikkonen said. He pointed to the combination of funding decisions arriving in January, six-month notice periods, restrictions on transferring funding between grant categories and the absence of resources for an orderly closure. According to Mikkonen, even a responsible employer could find itself in a situation where its legal obligations threaten the survival of the entire organisation.

EHYT has already faced substantial reductions in recent years. Its STEA funding for 2026 was approximately €1.5 million lower than in 2024. The organisation says it has begun structural changes that would allow it to absorb a reduction of up to 20 percent in its general grant next year, but warns that cuts beyond that level could jeopardise the organisation as a whole. EHYT also notes that a year-long STEA compliance audit completed in 2025 found no shortcomings in its administration or use of grant funding.

EHYT Chair Heidi Viljanen said further cuts would therefore fall on activities that have been demonstrated to be both necessary and effective, at a time when prevention of substance-related harm is particularly important. EHYT also argues that broad cuts to general grants would conflict with recent government objectives emphasising concrete, direct work with people and giving greater priority to general grants over project-based funding.

To secure continuity, EHYT supports a proposal by the employers’ organisation Hyvinvointiala Hali to reverse an additional €50 million cut to social welfare and health NGOs and to distribute €25 million transferred to wellbeing services counties as STEA grants in 2027. EHYT argues that additional public revenue could be found through more effective taxation enforcement of alcohol sold remotely from abroad, citing estimates by the Finnish Tax Administration and Customs that approximately €285 million in tax revenue is currently lost annually.

EHYT will begin restructuring negotiations involving all employees in early September, with all adjustment measures under consideration. The organisation currently employs 52 people, including nine on fixed-term contracts.

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Source: EHYT ry