Among Finland’s intravenous drug users is growing the proportion of young people under the age of 20. In Helsinki and Tampere the needle exchange services of health advice centers set up for drug users report that they are serving considerably younger customers than before. Now the most common drug injected by the users is buprenorphine. It is most frequently available in pill form under the brand name of Subutex. And it is widely used to help wean heroin addicts from their habit. The pills are often crushed, dissolved, and injected, in order to maximise the effect on the illicit drug market. And even when used illicitly, buprenorphine is much less dangerous than heroin. And also its increased popularity among users is seen as a major factor in the low level of death by drug overdose in Finland in the past two years. In a number of cities on the west coast, including Pori and Oulu the increasing popularity of buprenorphine among young drug users has been noted.