6. Debate: The Substance Misuse Annual Report

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:18 pm on 12 February 2019.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 4:18, 12 February 2019

I think this is a useful moment to have a look at what we're achieving and what we're not achieving. The threefold increase, nearly, in hospital admissions because of the use of illegal drugs is obviously a cause for concern, and we know that people living in the most deprived areas of Wales are six times more likely to be admitted for drug misuse than in the least deprived areas.

I was puzzled by amendment 1, because it links together drug misuse and alcohol-specific deaths in Wales and there has actually been a reduction in deaths from drug misuse. It's only 4 per cent and, obviously, each death is a tragedy in itself, but, nevertheless, it's important to understand trends.

One of the concerning issues is opioid misuse amongst the older population increasing, and that, if you like, mirrors the use of alcohol in excessive quantities by older people as well. And so there are some clear messages there about things that we're going to need to think about in terms of how we—