Mr Twentyman said both communities, like many around Australia, were experiencing major issues with drugs and violence.

“I’m finding it’s almost a national crisis, particularly with ice,” he said.

“During my visit I listened to a mother with seven kids – her two eldest have an ice dependency.

“She’s watching her two sons treading water, digging an early grave. And this is a situation I’m hearing right around the whole country.”

Mr Twentyman said he had been invited to speak to school students in Echuca and at a public forum in Rochester.

“I always find people in country areas are warm and receptive but I drive out the next day and they’re still left with the problem,” he said.

“We’ve all got a part to play – the teachers, the football and netball team, the police – we all play on the same side... we all want our kids to be happy.”

Mr Twentyman said drug problems could be compounded in country areas because of limited resources and isolation.

“People in towns like Rochester and Echuca have to go all the way to Bendigo to get help,” he said.

“We need urgent resources to go to regional areas.”

Ice is a highly purified crystalline form of the drug methamphetamine.

According to the booklet On Thin Ice: A Users’ Guide, it’s a highly addictive, man-made stimulant that is usually made from pharmaceutical drugs used in cold and flu medications together with other chemicals.

The relationship between ice and aggression is not straightforward and sometimes violent behaviour is related to methamphetamine psychosis.

Earlier this year the Bendigo Advertiser teamed up with Bendigo Health and Victoria Police for the Break The Ice campaign, which aims to create an honest discussion about what the drug is doing to our communities.

The series of reports printed in the Bendigo Advertiser include: accounts of how Bendigo Health staff are suffering at the hands of methamphetamine users who are lashing out in drug-affected states; information from Victoria Police about “a huge increase in ice users committing crimes”; and a mother’s tale of how she considered running her son down with her car in a last-ditch attempt to put an end to his ice addiction.

“It’s an ugly drug,” Mr Twentyman said. “It’s the equivalent to the American crack period. It’s absolutely a national crisis that we’re facing.”

•   If you need help, call: Family Drug Help on 1300 660 068; Family Drug Support on 1300 368 186; Directline (Alcohol and Drug referrals and telephone counselling) on 1800 888 236; or Lifeline on 13 11 14.