Ice, or crystallised methamphetamine, is a dangerously potent drug, said to be highly addictive, cheaper than other illicit drugs and prone to produce violence and erratic behaviour.

The fact that it offers a better hit and is more affordable is given as a reason why usage and rates of addiction have skyrocketed.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has appointed a national task force to come up with an interim strategy for tackling the problem and report in a few months. The state government will spend $5 million over four years to ramp up the community's response to what some call an epidemic.

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has supported the national task force. Yesterday State Opposition Leader Bryan Green succumbed to politics and took a shot at the state move. It was an unnecessary attack.

By all accounts ice affects a minimum 2 per cent of our population. Not a large percentage, but that's still more than 10,000 possibilities for violence, crime, anti-social behaviour and wasted lives.

Today's ice addicts are tomorrow's tragedies; tomorrow's violence against partners, offspring and strangers; tomorrow's drain on our scarce public resources.

Governments are under pressure to respond to the problem-epidemic and so they should. Like most health issues, preventative measures are usually more effective than costly remedies, in this case costly measures such as law enforcement, medical treatment and jail.

The opposition has foreshadowed more policy announcements this year and that's a good thing. We look forward to its response to the many challenges we face as a community. It must be frustrating for an opposition, having spent so long in government, to be reduced to a mantra of daily criticism.

The tragedy of drug addiction and the scourge of drug trafficking demands a strong and united community response. There is no more potent example of sickening waste than a life destroyed by drug addiction.