- 05/11/2015
- Posted by: Mike Hedges MS
- Category: Press Releases
MIKE HEDGES AM WELCOEMS NEWS THAT DRUG RELATED DEATHS IN WALES FALL BY 30%
The number of drug-related deaths in Wales has fallen by 30% over the last five years, the Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething today confirmed.
Deaths from drug misuse in 2014 fell by 16% compared to 2013 and by 30% since 2010. The drug misuse mortality rate in Wales has also fallen by 16% compared to 2014, to 39 deaths per million – the lowest rate since 2006.
Mike Hedges AM Said…… I welcome this news as I have met people in Swansea East whose lives have been affected by drug related deaths. It is a terrible thing to meet parents who have lost children to drugs; I welcome the £50 million which the Welsh Government is investing in programs to assist people with substance misuse issues. I urge anyone who might benefit from these programs to get in touch with the relevant people.’
The Welsh Labour Government is investing more than £50m a year in programmes to tackle the harms caused by substance misuse and these figures show that this money is delivering tangible benefits. The £50m invested in substance misuse programmes every year is spent on a wide range of initiatives, including:
• Dan 24/7 – Wales’ bilingual substance misuse helpline.
• The take-home naloxone programme, which reverses opiate overdose.
• The WEDINOS harm reduction project.
• Information and support for parents, carers and schools to educate children and young people about the risks of substances, along with providing support for them where necessary.
