Copenhagen to help young people out of opioid addiction with new initiative

Copenhagen will establish a new treatment programme for young people with opioid and other substance abuse issues, following the allocation of funds as part of the 2026 budget agreement.

The new programme will combine social support and medical treatment and will target young people up to the age of 24. The aim is to provide counselling, treatment, and support for areas such as education and health in one place.

“We must take young people’s use of opioids and benzodiazepines very, very seriously, because unfortunately we are seeing that these deadly pills continue to flow across the country’s borders and can be bought in kiosks and from white couriers around Copenhagen. Young people do not see the pills as dangerous, as they can be obtained by prescription if prescribed by a doctor, whereas most people know that cocaine and MDMA are highly addictive and dangerous. Employees in the Social Services Department are encountering an increasing number of young people aged 14 to 24 who need both counselling and medical treatment. Therefore, we need to be ready already now to accommodate far more young people who in the coming years will need counselling and treatment for the use of dangerous substances and pills,” says Social Mayor Karina Vestergård Madsen (EL).

The plan is to create an environment where young people are not in treatment together with older substance users. According to the municipality, the current services for adults may be a barrier for young people who might otherwise seek help.

“Young people must be able to go to a place where they can see themselves and feel safe. This requires creating physical settings where young people do not interact daily with substance users who have been part of the environment for years. For now, we are ensuring the physical framework for an expanded and unified youth treatment programme, and during the budget negotiations in September we will follow up with initiatives that strengthen the prevention of young people’s use of opioids and benzodiazepines,” says Karina Vestergård Madsen.

So far, DKK 0.55 million has been allocated to investigate the location of the programme, as well as DKK 2.5 million for the reserved lease of a building on Matthæusgade in Vesterbro.

At the same time, funds have been allocated to other social initiatives, including DKK 8.6 million for substance abuse treatment, DKK 800,000 for LAVUK, and DKK 600,000 for the Human Library. In addition, DKK 251.8 million has been allocated for a residential facility on Baldersgade in Nørrebro.

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