The vandalising of an iconic Alice Springs sign to read "Come to Ice Springs" has drawn outcry on social media, with many interpreting it as a comment on the rising use of the drug ice in regional Australia.

The NT Department of Infrastructure said it was made aware of the updated text of the "Welcome to Alice Springs" sign on the Stuart Highway south of the Gap about midday yesterday and contractors would restore the original lettering about midday today.

A photo of the sign on the ABC Alice Springs and ABC Darwin Facebook pages drew hundreds of shares and comments overnight.

A man from Cronulla in New South Wales wrote:

When I was there I seen more evidence of 'ice' than in any capital city so it's sorta fitting really.

The vandalism comes after the NT Government introduced a dob-in-an-ice-dealer scheme to tackle the growing drug problem.

NT police seized more than 18,000 grams of amphetamines in the Territory in 2013/14 — a 163 per cent increase in seizures of the drug on the previous financial year.

When the NT's Ice Select Committee visited Alice Springs in July, the Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit (CAAAPU) said use of methamphetamine (which includes ice) remained relatively low among its clients.

It said it expected meth use to rise and, if this happened, it would welcome forced rehabilitation of users, like the controversial Alcohol Mandatory Treatment program in place for alcoholics.