WIREDGOV

The number of drug-related deaths in Wales has fallen by 30% over the last five years, the Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething yesterday 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.

Speaking during a debate on substance misuse in the Senedd yesterday (Wednesday October 21), Mr Gething said:

“These figures represent lives lost to families and communities across Wales and while I welcome the news of a further decrease, any death attributable to drugs is one too many.

"Tackling drug misuse is a complex issue, which the Welsh Government has been working hard to address. The fact that drug-related deaths are falling at such a rate in Wales is testament to the significant work which we and our partners are undertaking.  

“We are 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.