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Finnish PM tests negative in drug test taken to ‘clear suspicion’
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has tested negative for drugs, the government said Monday (August 22) after leaked videos of her partying with friends last week sparked uproar.
According to Finland's national public broadcaster Yle, Marin voluntarily took the test following allegations on social media that she used drugs at the party.
Marin's urine sample was tested for the presence of various drugs, such as cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis and opioids, Iida Vallin, a special adviser to the prime minister, told AFP.
“Drug test taken from Prime Minister Sanna Marin on 19 August 2022 did not reveal the presence of drugs,” Marin's office said in a statement, adding that the results were signed by a doctor.
“The test was a comprehensive drug test. We did not choose how the test was done,” Vallin said.
The statement from the Prime Minister's office added that media outlets can obtain more detailed information on the test, the screenings performed and the way the test was carried out.
This is brilliant! Now Finns are sharing Sanna Marin party parodies to show their support for the Finnish PM pic.twitter.com/Gta2H8gV5X
— Very Finnish Problems (@VFinnishProbs) August 22, 2022
According to the statement, the drug test certificate was signed by Finnish private healthcare company Terveystalo and occupational health physician Paavo Halonen.
The prime minister paid for the test herself.
“To clear up any suspicions, I have taken a drug test today,” she told reporters at her residence on Friday (August 19).
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Earlier last week, videos of the prime minister partying with various Finnish celebrities and public figures went viral on social media.
The videos, stitched from numerous clips, show Marin and other partygoers dancing and singing together.
Marin stated that the videos were private and filmed in a private residence a few weeks ago.
She told the media on Thursday morning (August 18) that she was aware she was being filmed, but thought that the videos would remain private.
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She admitted to having drunk alcohol. In addition to denying taking drugs, she said she did not witness any drug use by any of the attendees.
Marin -- who was appointed in 2019 at the age of 34 -- has previously been the target of criticism over parties at her official residence.
In December 2021, she came under sustained criticism after it was revealed she stayed out dancing until the early hours despite having been exposed to Covid-19.
A poll commissioned by Finnish TV channel MTV3 at the time found two-thirds of respondents thought her night out was a “serious mistake”.
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