The Welsh Assembly Government launched its new 10-year plan to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, drugs and other substances on 1 October 2008. The strategy sets out how the Welsh Assembly Government and its partners intend to reduce the harm associated with substance misuse in Wales. 

The actions are underpinned by four key aims:

• Reducing the harm caused to individuals (particularly children and young people),their families and wider communities

• Improving the availability and quality of education, prevention and treatment services

• Making better use of resources

• Embedding the core Welsh Assembly Government values of sustainability, equality and diversity, support for the Welsh language and developing user focused services as well as a rights basis for children and young people, in both the development and delivery of the strategy.

The strategy will backed by an extra £9.6 million in the Substance Misuse Action Fund over the next three years taking the total amount of funding to over £27 million per annum by 2010-11. There will also be a further £11 million a year for local health boards to tackle substance misuse.

The strategy can be downloaded from theWelsh Assembly Government website.