New figures reveal the Waikato region has the highest levels of meth dependency in the country.
The online Drug Trends Survey found 43 percent of the region's users have developed a dependency, with Gisborne and Hawke's Bay close behind on 42 percent.
Doctor Chris Wilkins from Massey University says these regions are aware they have serious drug problems.
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"I think the challenge now is to overlay the services to access in the right places," he says.
"A lot of those community groups are really interested in using the data to support the case for better access for services in their regions."
However he says building drug centres in regional towns isn't realistic.
"The other way of looking at it is there is also an opportunity to be more innovative about providing services and support to people wanting to change their drug use in geographically isolated places, so things like online services," Dr Wilkins says.
Newshub.
