PEOPLE in Wales are still drinking too much alcohol according to the Welsh Health Secretary.

Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething made an address before the start of Alcohol Awareness, to highlight the dangers of over indulging.

To mark the start of Alcohol Awareness Week, the Health Secretary warned that while for many people in Wales alcohol forms some part of their social lives, as with most activities in life drinking too much alcohol carries a degree of risk. Reducing alcohol intake lowers the risk of suffering long-term diseases in later life.

In 2017 there were 540 alcohol-related deaths in Wales, an increase of 7.1 per-cent on the previous year - a number the Welsh Government is determined to reduce.

Earlier this year, the National Assembly approved the Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Act 2018, which provides a legislative basis for addressing the longstanding and specific health concerns around the effects of excess alcohol consumption — to improve and protect the health of the population of Wales.

Speaking at the start of Alcohol Awareness Week, Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething said: “Alcohol misuse is a major public health issue that affects the well-being of individuals, families and communities.

“We are firmly committed to tackling the availability of cheap, strong alcohol through the introduction of a minimum unit price for alcohol. But it’s not just heavy drinkers who are affected. Moderate drinkers are also impacting their health and their life expectancy by drinking too many units a week.”