I would like to thank the Minister for tabling this debate, and I acknowledge the progress that has been made. However, we have so much more to do.

Substance abuse affects every section of our society; 34 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women drank more than the recommended limits on at least one day during the last week. Adults living in households in the highest income bracket are twice as likely to drink heavily as adults in the lowest income bracket. Older people tend to drink more frequently than younger people. Young people are more likely to take drugs than older people. One in five 16 to 24-year-olds have taken illicit drugs during the last year compared with just over 50 in the 55 to 59-year-old bracket.

Middle-aged males are more likely to be addicted to prescription-only painkillers, and women are more likely to be addicted to over-the-counter medication. The number of people being referred for treatment for substance misuse has continued to rise, and the number of deaths related to drink and drugs are at a record high. Mental health teams are reporting a rise in the numbers of patients taking new psychoactive substances, and NPS use is endemic in the prison population, where up to 90 per cent of prisoners have some form of mental health problem. It is therefore essential that we have the right policies in place in order to reduce the harms associated with substance misuse. We need to address the massive rise in cannabinoid abuse. We need to address the reasons why there has been a drop in the number of people assessed by specialist substance misuse providers. And we need to address the reasons why there are such long waits for counselling services across Wales.

There is a correlation between substance misuse and mental ill health, yet we have increasing waiting times for mental health treatment. The waits for talking therapies have ensured that anti-depressant prescription rates are the highest in western Europe. GPs in Wales prescribe enough anti-depressants to give every member of the population 19 days’ supply. This needs to be addressed as part of the Government's substance misuse strategy urgently.

I will be supporting most of the amendments before us today. There is a vital need for tier 4 residential drug and alcohol rehab in Wales—a need that is underestimated by the official statistics. I will be abstaining on amendment 4, because having worked in the prison service, I can say that we never saw people imprisoned for drug use; they were imprisoned for dealing or for committing serious crimes to feed their habit. I agree with the sentiment behind the amendment, but decriminalising drugs sends out the wrong message. Whilst in prison, drug addicts receive first-class treatment—treatment that should be available outside the prison environment. Prisoners get admitted to a rehab unit, are subject to ongoing support and testing and have one-to-one mental health support whenever needed. Perhaps if that sort of treatment option was available to the wider population, we would not see so many drug-related offences being committed. So, I believe that better treatment rather than decriminalisation is the answer. Diolch yn fawr.