WIMMERA leaders have welcomed positive feedback after the region's battle with crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, was featured on an SBS television program.
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The Feed dedicated Thursday's half-hour program to the growth of ice use across regional Australia.
'Ice Towns' featured Horsham and Shepparton and included accounts from ice users and family members whose lives have been torn apart by the highly-addictive drug.
Horsham Inspector Trevor Ashton, Horsham Mayor David Grimble and Wimmera Drug Action Taskforce co-ordinator and Grampians Community Health alcohol and other drugs counsellor Brendan Scale were also interviewed for the program
Cr Grimble said although he considered Horsham a relatively safe community, it was important people were educated about the dangers crystal methamphetamine posed.
"Our issues aren't dissimilar to other regional cities," he said.
"The show created an opportunity to get some questions answered.
"I think a lot of people were shocked that it is here, but they were supportive of the advances that have been made to educate people about it."
Wimmera Drug Action Taskforce joined forces with police, the media and healthcare professionals in October last year to tackle the issue.
The Breaking the Ice campaign culminated in two forums in Horsham in December.
More than 350 people attended.
Since then, there has been a series of forums in towns including Warracknabeal, Ararat, Nhill and Edenhope.
SBS filmed the most recent forum in Horsham in July and returned to the city to interview residents in September.
Mr Ashton said community members recognised the efforts made to educate them.
"The work that has been done at community forums across the Wimmera has all been unfunded," he said.
"That's people volunteering their time and effort to educate people about the dangers of the drug.
"To have people recognise our efforts to get information out there is very rewarding."
Mr Ashton said he had received nothing but positive feedback following Thursday night's program.
"The community wants to know about the drug that is crystal methamphetamine," he said.
"If someone was to ask me about the statistics of crystal methamphetamine in the Wimmera, the answer is 'I don't know'.
"But anecdotally I can tell you it is here, it is getting in and we want to do everything we can to stop it."
