You've only had to read The Examiner recently to realise the depth and breadth of a national problem.

A Launceston Supreme Court jury last month convicted a cold-blooded killer for the gruesome 2018 murder of a mate, with drugs and debt a heavy motive.

Tasmanian magistrates have been handing out drug treatment orders to varying degrees of success for years with a high percentage of those sentenced on drugs at the time of their offending.

In 2019-20, 71 drug treatment orders were ordered with 25 being cancelled because the drug user had been unable to quit drugs.

In the first four months of 2020-21, a further 50 orders were made.

Research suggests substance abuse is a key contributor to domestic violence which is a growing national disgrace, and as we saw this week, police are flat chat using every method possible to keep drugs off the streets.

Tasmania Police's Operation Carnegie squashed a drug syndicate with $5.5 million in illicit drugs and cash seized, while on the same day the three-year multi-national and agency Special Operation Ironside came to a head with great effect.

The influence of methylamphetamine, or ice, is a community conundrum with no simple remedy.

It is pleasing to see that authorities are slowly denting the influence of underworld organised crime operations.

However, as experienced AFP operator Dr John Coyne put it, an effective drug strategy needs a "three legged stool", with demand reduction, supply reduction, and harm minimisation at each corner.

A concerted effort from the community up is needed to combating the consumption, sale and trafficking of substances.

Whether it's from dobbing in a dealer and cutting off supply, helping an addict turn their life around or authorities and courts doing their job to destroy the source and punish those responsible.

Because the impact on innocent people has become far too great to just walk on by.