Nguuamambiny Indigenous Corporation CEO Lynn Field, who runs programs for those affected by drugs, said ice use in young adults was becoming more common.

"It is definitely being used by kids between 14 and 16," she said.

Ice use among methamphetamine users more than doubled in three years, according to findings in a National Drug Strategy Household Survey published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The survey of 24,000 people in the second half of 2013 found Australians in remote areas were twice as likely to use methamphetamines as those in metropolitan areas.

At least 11 NSW public school principals have come forward with fears this year that ice was present in their classrooms.

However, a Department of Education and Communities (DEC) spokesperson said ice was not emerging as a problem in Dubbo public schools and students who were found taking drugs were reported to the authorities.

"On a limited number of occasions local public schools may discipline students about drug issues. These matters are reported to police."

The DEC spokesperson said age-appropriate education about drugs was provided to young people by local public schools, as well as the mandatory 25-hour Crossroads course presented to students in year 11 or 12.

"Every student in a public school also has access to a qualified and accredited school counsellor as well as a wide range of other support," the spokesperson said.

Orana Haven Healing Centre CEO Norm Anderson said he had personally seen a dramatic increase in ice usage in the past 18 months to two years.

He calculated about 60 per cent of the people who attended the Orana Haven drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre were ice users.

"It's as common or more common than cannabis. It's totally addictive and people who are dealing know people are going to get addicted," Mr Anderson said.

"And it's relatively cheap. When you compare it to heroin or speed or amphetamines, if it's not cheaper, it's at least on the same level."

Mr Anderson said unlike cannabis, after only one hit users could become addicted to ice.

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey reported overall levels of meth use were stable between the last survey in 2010 and 2013, but there was a change in the most popular form used, with crystal meth or ice replacing powder as the preferred form of the drug.

Among recent meth users, ice use increased from 22 per cent to 50 per cent.

There was also a trend to more frequent use, with 15.5 per cent using it daily or weekly, compared to 9.3 per cent in 2010.

People who mainly used ice were far more likely to use it on a regular basis than those who used meth in other forms. A quarter of ice users used the drug at least weekly, compared to 2.2 per cent of those who mainly used powder.

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Ms Field said services to deal with the issue were not targeted at young adults.

"There's not a lot of services available for young people to go for help. We don't have NA (Narcotics Anonymous) and AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) is run by middle-aged men. How do you get a 17-year-old black fella to go to a meeting?" Ms Field said

She said there was an attitude among young adults that those who tried to get help for their addiction were weak. Ms Field said the drug use needed to be addressed at home by parents and carers of users.

"I know one one kid whose father is quite well-respected in this town who is using. I asked him what his father thought about him using and he said 'my father doesn't even know I'm alive'," she said.

"Now how the hell is anyone else going to be able to help when his own family can't?"

Like Ms Field, Mr Anderson said he was frustrated by the lack of resources surrounding the issue.

"We're not seeing any shortage of people in drug rehabilitation centres and most places have a waiting list of at least of eight weeks or more. There's nothing happening at the moment to alleviate the problem even a little bit. Our waiting lines are just getting longer and longer."

The Ted Noffs Foundation, the Salvation Army and the NSW Opposition were among those calling for a drug summit such as the one held in 1999 that led to the introduction of the Kings Cross Medically Supervised Injecting Centre.