A former ice addict who stood as a candidate in the South Australian election says Adelaide's reign as the "ice capital of Australia" will continue unless more funding is put into rehabilitation.

Key points: Adelaide has retained the title of Australia's "ice capital"

Adelaide has retained the title of Australia's "ice capital" Former drug addict Kate Amoroso says more rehab services are needed

Former drug addict Kate Amoroso says more rehab services are needed She said she gets calls from desperate families daily

The drug monitoring report by the Federal Government revealed the state had high levels of ice use, with Adelaide the highest-using capital city.

Kate Amoroso — who ran as the SA Best candidate for Mt Gambier in the state's southeast — said she is contacted every day by families desperate to get their children into treatment.

She said the cost of treatment in private facilities and a lack of public places was sending families into despair.

"There are plenty of families who get in touch because they just don't know what to do," Ms Amoroso said.

"People are at the point when they don't know where to turn for advice."

Ms Amoroso recalled how her addiction took hold of her life, and her family searched across the country for treatment in the public service.

She was ultimately detained in a mental health institution in Adelaide under the Mental Health Act and has been clean for three years.

At one point her addiction was costing her $2,000 per week.

She said the Federal and State Governments had too much focus on "analyses and national roadshows", instead of funnelling funding into rehabilitation and education.

"Education and rehab are the keys to getting clean," she said.

"If they start listening to people with lived experience, we might actually crack the code.

"Something has got to happen soon, it just has to."

Kate Amoroso from Mount Gambier took up boxing after battling an ice addiction. ( ABC News: Ruby Jones )

The Federal Government has committed $300 million under its National Ice Action Strategy, with the State Government funding a further $8 million in ice treatment and prevention through the Ice Taskforce.

The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program report found nationally methylamphetamine was the most commonly consumed illegal drug, with alcohol and nicotine the highest-consumed substances.

In South Australia, there was an increase in regional ice use and a slight decrease in metropolitan Adelaide.

All states have a drug of choice

University of South Australia Professor Jason White, one of the lead researchers for the national testing regime, said it was important to consider that each state had its own drug of choice.

He said heroin was more prevalent in Victoria and cocaine was the most popular drug in New South Wales.

"While it is true we have high levels of methamphetamine use in Adelaide, we don't have the same problems with other drugs," Professor White said.

He declined to reveal the areas in metropolitan Adelaide where ice use was more prevalent, with the testing sites across Australia kept confidential through the program.

In South Australia, four metropolitan wastewater treatment plants and five regional wastewater treatment plants were tested.

National ice numbers still not clear

National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction Director Ann Roche said wastewater testing had its limits, and was not necessarily an indication of the total number of people using ice.

"It could be a large number of people using a small amount of drugs, or a small number of people using a large amount of drugs," Professor Roche said.

"The measurement doesn't tell us the number of people using ice.

"At a national level, there was a drop in the number of people using ice between 2013 and 2016, but we do also know that the treatment services are seeing more people.

"There is a high demand for treatment services."

Professor Roche said treatment was not the sole approach that needed to be taken to decrease use of the "extremely seductive drug".

"We need to ask ourselves, why is it higher in some areas and with some groups, particularly young males?"

"If you don't have good work opportunities, recreational drugs become more attractive.

"There are very good reasons why there are very high concentrations in some areas — it's not by accident."

Health Minister Stephen Wade said the increasing use of methamphetamine in South Australia was a matter of deep community concern.

"Stemming the increase in the use of methamphetamine will require a combination of therapeutic, legal and policing initiatives at the State and Federal level," Mr Wade said.

"The Marshall Liberal Government will introduce legislation enabling mandatory treatment for children addicted to drugs at the request of parents, police or child protection officers."