Drugs problems have become widespread in the valleys

All the main parties have given their support to calls for better treatment for drug abusers.

There has also been backing for more emphasis on teaching children - even those in primary schools - about the dangers of drugs.

The candidates responded to a BBC Wales report on the problems of the spread of drugs in the valleys.

'Holistic'

Labour's candidate for the Cynon Valley, Christine Chapman, said drugs were a real problem for valley communities, and her party's manifesto had a commitment to spend more on detoxification facilities.

"What we are getting now from the Labour government at Westminster (is) a lot more investment coming into these areas," she said.

"But also the work with the assembly is important because we must be able to treat the causes of the drug problem as well."

She said the issue had to be looked at "in a much more holistic way, and treat the causes as well as the symptoms."

'Cop-out'

David Walters, the Plaid Cymru candidate for Cynon Valley, said communities needed to be able to help themselves, but a broader structure had to be put in place.

I wouldn't like the image of this valley to be solely one of drug use Liberal Democrat Rob Humphreys

He said: "The public sector offers nothing in respect of drug rehabilitation... it's all in the hands of the voluntary sector, and very often handing it over to the voluntary sector or to local groups is a cop-out on the part of government where there is no back up for those services. "

Mr Walters said a rehabilitation centre was extremely important.

"We need to engage in education of young people, particularly at school level, where they can be warned of the dangers and seriousness and the consequences of what they are doing. I don't think that's happening enough at the moment."

'Tinker's cuss'

Paul Williams, Conservative candidate for the Rhondda, said communities need to be given the power to tackle drug use themselves. Rehabilitation centres had to be established across the country that were controlled and run by local people, and would be adapted to meet their individual needs.

Assembly candidates say children must learn more about drug dangers

Mr Williams said parents whose children were in court for drug problems didnt "give a tinker's cuss" which party was in control of their local council or the assembly.

He cited the way that valleys communities had built their own welfare halls and miners' institutes 100 years ago.

"We could probably follow that example today and empower local communities to develop the rehabilitation centres that they need in their communities that they can control and therefore address their local situations and adapt these to meet their needs." .

Rob Humphreys, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Cynon Valley, said it was vital to tackle the issue locally and before people entered the criminal justice system.

'Hard working'

"If people can only get rehabilitation when they are in prison it's too late," said Mr Humphreys.

"We need to tackle it much earlier, obviously dealing with the causes of deprivation and poverty and so on, but in education programmes in primary schools as well as secondary schools in order that we don't reach the stage when we're treating the symptoms rather than the causes."

Mr Humphreys was also concerned about the image of the area. "We've rightly covered this very serious issue, but this isn't the only story about the Cynon Valley.

"There are a lot of hard working people who are not drug addicts in the Cynon Valley and I wouldn't like the image of this valley to be solely one of drug use."