Navy drug use shows need for crackdown: PM

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says reports of ice abuse in the navy show why a national crackdown on the drug is needed.

The navy has launched an inquiry into a cluster of suicides by past and serving sailors from Perth naval base HMAS Stirling, some linked to the drug ice.

Assistant Defence Minister Stuart Robert has said ice appears to be the new drug of choice in the armed forces, but steps are being taken to tackle its use.

Mr Abbott, who this week launched a national ice taskforce, said all levels of government needed to take drug's scourge seriously.

"The fact that we have an ice problem, it seems even in our armed forces, shows just how insidious the ice epidemic has become," he told reporters on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Thursday.

The government is launching a public awareness campaign to ensure young people know the drug's dangers.