Updated March 16, 2019 11:30:52

Tasmania could become the first state in Australia to introduce pill testing, with the push gaining support from a maverick Liberal MP and the Dark Mofo festival, which may go it alone to offer a testing service.

The ABC understands the annual winter festival, run by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), plans to set up a pilot program during this year’s event.

Festival organisers are meeting with Pill Testing Australia, which conducted the country’s first pill testing trial in the ACT last year, to learn more about the process on Monday.

Six people have died from suspected drug overdoses at music festivals across Australia this year, prompting renewed calls for testing to be rolled out nationwide.

Australia’s first pill testing trial was held at Canberra’s Groovin the Moo festival last year after being approved by the ACT Government. A second trial will be held at the event this year.

Chief executive of the Alcohol Tobacco and other Drugs Council Alison Lai said there was keen interest for pill testing in Tasmania.

“[A] zero-tolerance approach can’t be the only approach we use,” she said.

“Festival organisers are looking for other strategies that can minimise the other risk to their patrons who are attending these events — that’s what pill testing offers.”

Tasmanian Police Commissioner Darren Hine would not speculate on what would happen if Dark Mofo proceeded with testing without government approval.

“The law is quite clear; if we come across illegal drugs we have to obviously take action, but we will consider that if and when we are approached about the issue,” he said.

‘This is a life and death situation’

As in other states, Tasmania’s Liberal Government is strongly opposed to pill testing.

However, Liberal Member for Clark and the Speaker of the House of Assembly Sue Hickey has split with her party and is calling for Tasmania to become the first of the states to allow a pill testing trial program.

“I really think it’s a health issue, not just a policing issue,” she said.

Ms Hickey said drugs were dangerous, but she was not “stupid enough” to just tell people “don’t take them”.

“That’s what we have been saying for years, and it has been ineffective,” she said.

“Consider if your child was in this situation, would you prefer if they had one road block in their way through before they took that tablet? This is a life and death situation.”

Ms Hickey said her decision to support a pill testing trial was reached after seeing the stances taken by the Australian Medical Association, the Royal College of General Practitioners, and former AFP commissioner Mick Palmer.

“We have to listen to these professionals,” she said.

Ms Hickey has caused problems for her party before, voting against policy on a number of issues — including gender reforms — while the Liberals teeter on the brink of minority government.

Taking drugs ‘a lot scarier’ now

Grace Tame, 24, said it was “idealistic” to expect people to stop taking drugs, and testing substances would help keep people safer when they did use them.

“I’ve had some bad experiences. I’ve taken drugs and then not remembered things and been told that I behaved in a certain way,” she said.

“I had one particularly bad experience, not in Australia, I was in Los Angeles. I don’t know what it was that I took and I was found on the side of the road at 4:00am in the morning.

Ms Tame said drug producers were “making things as cheaply as possible and putting things in there that shouldn’t be in there”.

“It’s a more and more dangerous recreational activity. It’s not like it used to be. It’s a lot scarier.”

She said it was “foolish to think that people aren’t taking drugs”.

“We can’t stop that, but if there are measures we can take to make it as safe as possible, I say go for it.”

Law student Niamh Schofield said calling for people to simply abstain from taking drugs did not work.

“It would be really great to know — and give me a real sense of assuredness — that my friends who are going to take drugs regardless can test those and minimise the risk,” she said.

‘No’ doesn’t work, Liberal MP says

In the ACT, legislative change was not required to proceed with the pill testing trial, but in Tasmania it is likely the issue would go before Parliament because of strong Government opposition.

Last year the Tasmanian Greens’ attempt to introduce a legislative framework to allow pill testing in the state, including an advisory body of medical experts, failed in the Upper House when Labor voted against it.

Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff said the party would give Parliament another chance to vote on the issue this year.

“Pill testing is not a guarantee that what you put in your mouth is safe, but it is a first check when dangerous things like strychnine and rat poisons can be identified,” she said.

If Labor supported pill testing, Ms Hickey said she would be willing to cross the floor to support it.

“I think we have to stop saying ‘no’, we know ‘no’ doesn’t work.”