SW forum reveals ice misery

South West residents have told how the illegal drug known as ice is wreaking widespread damage throughout the community.

Families, health service providers and other community members affected by the growing use of crystal methamphetamine spoke up at a forum at Gelorup Community Hall on Tuesday - an opportunity to contribute to submissions for the National Ice Taskforce.

Forrest MHR Nola Marino said the Federal Government taskforce was a response to the rise in the use of methamphetamine in Australia in the past 12 months.

"It affects right across the board - be it law enforcement, health and education and then the communities and families as well," she said.

Mrs Marino said she wanted the issues that affected the South West to be considered by the taskforce.

"We want to see a national ice strategy by the end of the year for all levels of government and we want to engage communities," she said.

"I want South West people to be able to contribute directly to that process."

Bull and Bush Tavern owner and Dardanup resident Ellen Lilly said she had seen the damage caused by methamphetamine use through a family member.

"It's a complex problem but the main thing is that there needs to be a strategy that is well-thought out that includes emergency relief for families," she said.

"I've seen the unpredictable nature of the drug and I think young people need to realise this."

South West police Supt Peter Hatch said the region's police had an ongoing focus on drugs.

"We are up 37 per cent on drug seizures in the past financial year and although that's not all ice, that equates to another 720 seizures that we didn't have the previous year across the whole South West district," he said. "That goes to show that the officers are working hard to target people who are distributing drugs because as we know, it leads to all sorts of other miseries.

"We are also looking at the linkage into other types of crimes because there is often a link into burglaries and theft because people steal things in order to sell them to supply themselves with drugs.

"Any time the public gets invested in the issue like they did is a positive step forward and I think the acknowledgement in the community and by the Federal and State governments is great."

The taskforce will deliver an interim report to the Council of Australian Governments before a final strategy by the end of 2015.

Editorial, page 12