Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Pubs have been part of the fabric of community life in Wales for centuries. The industrial revolution saw an increase in licensed premises, with many social clubs springing up in the new communities that were created to house the workers that were part of this population boom in Wales. These venues were a place where people could go after a gruelling shift to quench their thirst. They also provided a meeting place for the community to come together and organise. Since my election, I've been providing support to a community group within the region seeking to reopen a pub that has lain dormant for some time. I recognise the huge boost this would provide for this particular community. 

Before the industrial revolution, we know that alcohol was part of life for many centuries. It is true to say that most people who drink alcohol have no problem at all. They can enjoy a few pints or a glass of wine responsibly, they can stay within the recommended units of alcohol per week, they may even go weeks or even months without an alcoholic drink. This debate is not about condemning or discouraging moderate drinking, it's about ensuring that help is there for those who simply cannot take it or leave it. Most of us will know or have known someone with a drink problem, whether they are friends or family. 

The statistics at our disposal underline the pervasiveness of alcohol abuse in our country. In 2018, there were 54,900 alcohol-related hospital admissions and 14,600 alcohol-specific admissions in Wales. More than a quarter of adults who drink alcohol are drinking more often since lockdown. Perhaps most damaging of all is that, in 2020, despite various policies and actions from the Welsh Government, we reached the highest number of alcohol-related deaths in 20 years. These numbers are stark and they are horrific. We must never forget that behind these statistics are ruined lives and lives cut short, causing untold misery for the alcohol abuser, their family and their wider friends and community. 

Family members of alcoholics may experience mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and shame due to their loved one's addictions. There is also the risk that they may be the victim of drunken outbursts. For an estimated 200,000 adults in Wales, alcohol led to greater tension or conflict during lockdown, and more than one in 13 people said that their own or someone else's drinking had made the tension in their households worse since lockdown. This figure is even higher in households with children.

As well as a considerable human cost, there is also the financial cost that alcohol has on our local services, our NHS and the criminal justice system. It impacts on absolutely everyone. In 2015, it was thought that alcohol misuse was costing the NHS in Wales more than £109 million a year, a figure that is likely to have grown higher since. We acknowledge that the Welsh Government has a substance misuse delivery plan for 2019-22, but we believe that more must be done to effectively tackle the growing issue of alcohol misuse in Wales. This must be done in a progressive, not punitive, manner.