Experience shows that taking a “war on drugs” approach – embraced globally since the Reagan years – simply will not work. Despite untold sums being spent on interdicting supply, there is still a roaring demand and that is where the problem lies. The best efforts of law enforcement agencies just don’t seem to stop manufacturers and distributors finding ways to get their noxious products to market.

We are not suggesting these efforts should be stopped but unless they are backed up by meaningful programs to deter people from the lure of drugs, particularly highly addictive and destructive ones like ice, there will be no end to the scourge. In regional areas, where employment opportunities are limited and public transport almost non-existent, boredom and dissolution breed an appetite for drugs and alcohol, which offer a temporary, illusory sense of excitement. 

Part of the conversation about ice then has to be about making it less attractive, about presenting potential users with alternative avenues for excitement. 

The task force also needs to reach out to young people at schools, to enlist their help in devising strategies to educate their peers and inculcate a sense of dread about the effects ice has on its users. Young people are best equipped to tell adults what will work and what won’t.

Equipping parents with the knowledge to detect warning signs is also helpful but only if there are enough places where they can go to seek help. This means funding many more detox and rehab beds in regional areas.

Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis took a step in the right direction with her ice forum last year. What’s needed now is for her to again gather the people who attended and get a progress report and suggestions as to what the next local steps should be.