That’s because it’s everybody’s problem.

Even if we don’t know someone personally who has become addicted to the insidious drug, it is likely we know someone whose family has been negatively impacted in some way.

An alcohol and drug conference in Sydney earlier this week heard that regional Australians are using significantly more ice than their metropolitan counterparts

The conference heard that crystal methamphetamine use had increased by 150 per cent and identified men aged between 18 and 24 as the most frequent users.

Whether they’ve lost their children or their job, are before the courts or already in prison, an ice user’s life can spiral out of control quickly once they’re hooked on the substance.

The struggles of ice users in the Albury-Wodonga and Wangaratta regions have been well documented in The Border Mail and Flinders University professor Ann Roche said there were several factors that contributed to rural communities’ high figures.

“They tend to have higher levels of health problems in general, higher levels of mental health problems, higher levels of suicide, but what we didn't really expect to see was a significantly higher level of crystal methamphetamine use,” Professor Roche said.

“These are some of the things that contribute to it.”

One of the goals of an ice forum in Albury on Wednesday night was to help the Border community better understand the issue.

A need for quicker access to rehabilitation services was highlighted as a key area for improvement at the forum.

It can often take weeks or months for a drug user to access rehabilitation, leaving them vulnerable to continue their habit.

“We need to start seeing the person rather than just the drug and to encourage people to seek help early, rather than just hide the problem,” the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s Amy Ehsman said.

“This is a community problem which has a community solution.

“Police, government and many communities across NSW are all saying the same thing – we can no longer arrest our way out of the problem.”

That may be true, but an increase in ice use in regional centres is a trend we simply must arrest.