Louisiana is poised to legally reclassify the abortion-care drug as a dangerous controlled substance punishable by jail time if taken without a prescription.
On Thursday, the Republican-controlled Louisiana state Senate voted 29-7 to advance Senate Bill 276 to Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who is expected to sign it.
The bill would reclassify the abortion drugs Mifepristone and Misoprostol — which are the most common drugs used to induce abortions or treat a miscarriage — as Schedule IV controlled substances. This would qualify the drugs for levels of control similar to addiction-prone drugs like Klonopin, Valium, and Xanax.
The legislation would impose criminal penalties on those found in possession of the drug without a prescription — punishable by up to 10 years in prison. While there is an exemption for pregnant women in possession of the drug, the bill would also make it “unlawful for a doctor or other person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion, with or without the consent of the pregnant woman.”
SB 276 was originally intended to criminalize fraudulently administering abortion drugs to a woman. The idea for the law was conceived by state Sen. Thomas Pressly (R) after his sister, Catherine Herring, was given abortion medication without her consent by her husband, who pleaded guilty to spiking her drinks in a plea agreement. The bill was later expanded to include the reclassification of abortion-inducing drugs.
Earlier this year, more from 280 doctors signed a letter calling on Pressly to strike the amendments, arguing they create “the false perception that these are dangerous drugs.”
“Mislabeling misoprostol, a drug used routinely and safely in labor units across the state, as a dangerous drug of abuse creates confusion and misinformation and harms women seeking high-quality maternal care,” the letter said.
Louisiana already has some of the most restrictive abortion laws — and one of the highest maternal mortality rates – in the country. Abortion is almost entirely prohibited in the state, with extremely limited exceptions. Doctors worry that increased restrictions on routine pregnancy medication will only worsen outcomes for patients in the state.
“Literally every day during labor and delivery, someone, if not several people, is taking misoprostol to induce labor,” Nicole Freehill, a New Orleans-based OB-GYN, previously said. Rolling rock. “It's a very cheap drug and very effective in preventing bleeding, for inserting IUDs, for endometrial biopsies, for preparing a patient's cervix when they have a miscarriage. It is used for so many things and on a very regular basis.”
“Misoprostol is literally a lifesaver,” added Freehill. “It is disappointing that this bill is moving forward, but I remain hopeful that the Senate and/or the governor will listen to the hundreds of physicians opposed to this change and not pass or sign the bill.”
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/louisiana-lawmakers-green-light-criminalizing-abortion-pill-1235026808/