English: The increasing incidence of alcohol abuse is very concerning, and it's something that each and every one of us should be concerned about. It's believed that high-risk drinkers have been driving the recent increase in alcohol consumption, and that has led to the highest level of alcohol abuse in 20 years. We know of the damaging impacts of alcohol abuse on our physical health, as well as our mental health. As we've heard already, we know that lockdown in particular had an impact on how much people drink, and that in turn has had a detrimental impact on health. The British Liver Trust told me at a Love Your Liver event outside the Senedd recently - and I know that many Members had visited them there - that there had been an increase of 20 per cent in liver-related deaths that were alcohol-related during the pandemic. So, the damage has been highlighted in the number of deaths in such a brief period of time, in just two years. Drinking heavily in the long term can also cause changes to the brain, causing cognitive problems. It can also lead to very real damage to the brain - alcohol-related brain damage, ARBD. And it is a condition that can be prevented from deteriorating if the patient can stop drinking alcohol, and with the appropriate support at the right time, then most people can make a partial recovery. But despite that, the Royal College of Psychiatrists tells us that only around 16 per cent of those who are suffering are diagnosed, because of a lack of understanding, a lack of awareness of the condition, and an inconsistent approach to treatment, because of the absence of the kind of treatment model that would be sufficient to meet demand. They are very eager to see the Welsh Government investing in and introducing an ABRD awareness package - which has been developed by the University of South Wales - and they want to see that done urgently. Now, the relationship between alcohol and mental health is one that's well known but it's also very complex. Alcohol, of course, is sometimes used by people to try and help the symptoms of anxiety - as they see it - or the symptoms of depression. But the reality is that drinking too much will probably exacerbate those symptoms, and depression and heavy drinking are closely related, and it's a self-fulfilling relationship, which means that if one shows signs of either depression or heavy drinking, then it's likely to increase the likelihood that the individual will experience the other side of the coin too. It's a worrying correlation, and managing drinking and getting the right support is crucial for good mental health. Now, the clear link between the lockdown and the increase in alcohol abuse figures does demonstrate how isolation and loneliness and changes in daily routine can have a detrimental impact on individuals and their state of mind. And having learnt from that experience, I do think that we do have to seek to provide support for people. And we are talking here of providing support to people to prevent self-harm. That's why we wanted, as the minimum alcohol price Bill went through the Assembly, as it was at that time, to see something in legislation that would ensure that there is funding provided as a result of that legislation and that efforts are made through that legislation to tackle alcohol abuse too. This wasn't just setting a price for the sake of setting a price; we wanted legislation in place with the intention of changing people's relationship with alcohol, and it's extremely important that those steps are taken as a result of that legislation, in order to ensure that people do understand that support is available and that they experience that support that they haven't had from Welsh Governments in the past.
Welsh: Mae'r nifer gynyddol o achosion o gamddefnydd alcohol, wrth gwrs, yn bryderus iawn. Mae o'n rhywbeth ddylai boeni pob un ohonom ni. Y gred ydy mai yfwyr risg uchel sydd wedi bod yn gyrru'r cynnydd diweddar mewn yfed alcohol, a hynny wedi arwain at y lefel uchaf ers 20 mlynedd o gamddefnydd alcohol. Rydyn ni'n gwybod am yr effaith niweidiol y gall camddefnydd alcohol ei gael ar ein hiechyd corfforol, yn ogystal â'n hiechyd meddwl ni. Fel rydyn ni wedi clywed yn barod, rydyn ni'n gwybod bod y cyfnod clo yn arbennig wedi cael effaith ar faint mae pobl yn ei yfed, a hynny yn ei dro wedi cael effaith andwyol ar iechyd. Mi ddywedodd y British Liver Trust wrthyf i mewn digwyddiad Love Your Liver y tu allan i'r Senedd yn ddiweddar - dwi'n gwybod bod nifer o Aelodau wedi bod draw i hwnnw - fod yna gynnydd o 20 y cant wedi bod mewn marwolaethau o afiechydon yr iau yn gysylltiedig ag alcohol yn ystod y pandemig. Hynny ydy, mae'r niwed wedi cael ei ddangos yn nifer y marwolaethau yn barod mewn cyfnod mor gyfyngedig â dwy flynedd. Mae yfed trwm, hirdymor hefyd yn gallu achosi newidiadau i'r ymennydd, yn achosi anawsterau rhesymu, cofio a deall. Mae o'n gallu hefyd arwain at niwed go iawn i'r ymennydd - brain damage, felly - sy'n gysylltiedig ag alcohol, ARBD, alcohol-related brain damage. Ac mae o'n gyflwr y mae'n bosib ei atal o rhag mynd yn waeth, os ydy claf yn gallu rhoi'r gorau i yfed alcohol, ac efo'r cymorth priodol ar yr amser iawn, mae'r mwyafrif o bobl yn gallu gwella rhywfaint hefyd. Ond er gwaethaf hynny, mae Coleg Brenhinol y Seiciatryddion yn dweud wrthym ni mai dim ond ryw 16 y cant o ddioddefwyr sy'n cael diagnosis, oherwydd diffyg ymwybyddiaeth, diffyg dealltwriaeth o'r cyflwr, ac agwedd anghyson, dywedwn ni, at driniaeth oherwydd absenoldeb y math o fodel triniaeth fyddai'n ddigonol i ateb y galw amdano fo. Maen nhw'n awyddus iawn i weld Llywodraeth Cymru yn buddsoddi a chyflwyno pecyn ymwybyddiaeth ARBD - pecyn sydd wedi cael ei ddatblygu gan Brifysgol De Cymru - a hynny ar frys. Rŵan, mae'r berthynas rhwng alcohol ac iechyd meddwl yn un gwybyddus ond cymhleth iawn hefyd. Mae alcohol, wrth gwrs, yn cael ei ddefnyddio, weithiau, gan bobl i geisio - maen nhw'n meddwl - helpu rheoli symptomau gorbryder neu symptomau iselder. Ond, wrth gwrs, y gwir ydy bod yfed gormod yn debyg o waethygu'r symptomau hynny, ac mae gan iselder ac yfed yn drwm berthynas glos efo'i gilydd, a pherthynas sy'n atgyfnerthu ei gilydd hefyd, sy'n golygu, os ydy rhywun yn dangos arwyddion o un ai iselder neu yfed yn drwm, mae o'n debyg o gynyddu'r siawns y bydd person yn profi'r llall hefyd. Mae hi'n gydberthynas bryderus, ac mae rheoli yfed a chael y gefnogaeth gywir yn hanfodol i iechyd meddwl da. Rŵan, mae'r cysylltiad clir rhwng y cyfnod clo a'r cynnydd mewn ffigurau camddefnydd alcohol yn dangos sut mae teimlo'n unig, bod ar wahân, a newidiadau mewn trefn, os liciwch chi, yn gallu effeithio yn ddifrifol ar unigolion a'u cyflwr meddwl nhw. Ac o fod wedi dysgu o'r profiad yma, dwi'n meddwl bod rhaid inni fod yn ceisio darparu cymorth i bobl. A dŷn ni'n sôn yn fan hyn am roi cymorth i bobl i atal ei hunain rhag niweidio eu hunain. Dyna ydy hyn, a dyna pam roeddem ni wedi dymuno, wrth i'r Bil isafswm pris alcohol fynd drwy'r Cynulliad, fel oedd o ar y pryd, gweld rhywbeth mewn deddfwriaeth a fyddai'n sicrhau bod yna arian yn dod yn sgil y ddeddfwriaeth, ac ymdrech yn cael ei wneud yn sgil y ddeddfwriaeth honno er mwyn taclo camddefnydd alcohol hefyd. Nid gosod er mwyn gosod pris oedd hyn; gosod deddfwriaeth mewn lle efo'r bwriad o newid perthynas pobl efo alcohol, ac mae'n bwysig iawn fod y camau hynny yn digwydd yn sgil y ddeddfwriaeth honno, i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl yn sylweddoli ac yn profi cefnogaeth, fel, yn anffodus, dydyn nhw ddim wedi gallu cael gan Lywodraethau Cymru yn y gorffennol.