A NORTH Wales Assembly Member has called for a Welsh Government Statement on the increasing number of drug deaths across the country.

Speaking in the Welsh Government's Business Statement, Mark Isherwood referred to the concerning figures and said given that the Welsh Government has been responsible for tackling substance misuse policy in Wales for two decades, the issue warrants a Statement from them.

The AM for North Wales said: “I call for a Statement on drugs, related to drug poisoning in Wales. This follows the publication during the Assembly summer recess of Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showing deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales 2018. These revealed that Wales has the second-highest figures amongst 10 areas - nine English regions and Wales. Wales had both the second biggest increase in its rate over the last 10 years, an 84 per cent increase, and the second-highest age-standardised mortality rate for deaths per million related to drugs misuse by country and region registered in 2018.

“Given that the Welsh Government has been responsible for tackling substance misuse policy in Wales for two decades now, Llywydd, this merits a statement and I hope this might be forthcoming.”

The Trefnydd, Rebecca Evans AM, replied: “The Minister for Health and Social Services is currently consulting on the next substance misuse delivery plan, so I think that would be an opportunity for Mark Isherwood to explore that plan to ensure that he's satisfied that it addresses the kind of issues that he described relating to drug poisoning. So, any contribution that he would have to that consultation, I know, would be welcomed, and then the Minister will obviously update the Assembly on the issue when the consultation has closed.”

The Leader previously reported that figures released by the ONS showed the saddening but unsurprising news that drug deaths have reached the highest number and highest annual increase since records began back in 1993.

The findings showed that that deaths from drug poisoning in Flintshire have risen over the last five years with the county being identified as amongst the areas with the largest rise in drug poisoning deaths in the time period analysed.

The most recent numbers show that, in Flintshire, there have been 36 deaths relating to drug poisoning in the 2016-18 period.

Of these 36 deaths, the numbers indicate that 15 of those were women – which is triple the number of cases since 2013-15.

On the opposite hand, Wrexham has witnessed a decline in the past five years.

Figures show a total of 27 deaths relating to drug poisoning across the county in the 2016-18 period compared to 26 between 2014 and 2016 and a staggering 32 in the 2012 to 2014 set of results.