Estonian security guards report more teens intoxicated in public places
Security firm Viking Security says its staff are increasingly encountering minors under the influence of drugs in public spaces, though police and the National Institute for Health Development see no overall rise in youth drug use.
Staff at Estonian security company Viking Security say that over the past year they have more often encountered minors intoxicated by drugs in public places. According to them, this involves not only light drugs but also stronger substances.
Sander Nurgamaa, head of Viking Security's video surveillance center, described an incident at a Tartu shopping center where a group of teenagers went to the restroom, and after coming out, one of them collapsed and lost consciousness. A subsequent check found a small bag with remnants of a white powdery substance inside a snus container at the scene.
He named drug availability as one of the causes: sellers can now be found through social media, and the price of some substances, guards say, is comparable to that of alcohol.
Police see no increase
Police, however, are not recording a rise in drug use among minors. Rait Pikaro, head of the Criminal Bureau at the Northern Prefecture, said that drug sales via social media have significantly increased availability for those actively seeking them. Criminals use social media groups to reach more young people, and direct contact between people is often no longer even required. For that reason, he said, the drug police's social media outreach work targeting young people is currently one of its priorities.
The National Institute for Health Development's latest survey of 15-16-year-old students was conducted in 2024 and likewise showed no sharp increase in use, though the scale of the problem remains significant. Institute representative Katri Abel-Ollo noted that about 30 percent of surveyed 15-16-year-olds had used drugs at least once in their lives, though most had done so only once or twice, simply to try it.
Experts emphasize that prevention is key in combating teenage drug use. Estonia has programs for schools and parents to help notice changes in a child's behavior in time and prevent drug use, while counseling and other support programs are available for those who already have a problem.
