Arrests not the only way to combat ice

Locking people up will not stop the scourge of the drug ice, the federal government says, which is why it's embarking on a major public awareness campaign.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott flagged the campaign on Wednesday as he announced a new government taskforce to tackle what has been described as a national epidemic.

Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash says the best way to reduce demand for ice is to educate the community, not just police its use.

"We can't arrest our way out of this problem," she told ABC TV.

The health and education campaign will warn Australians about the dangers of the drug.

Its key message would be that a momentary high would lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering, Mr Abbott said.

He declared the drug worse than heroin, LSD, cocaine or ecstasy.

"It's much more addictive, much more dangerous, much more damaging," he told reporters in Sydney.

Asked if the campaign would be as confronting as the infamous Grim Reaper AIDs ads of the 1980s, Senator Nash said: "We're going to do what's most effective."

The campaign will get underway "well before" June 30, Mr Abbott later added.