Louisiana governor signs bill adding 2 abortion drugs to list of controlled and dangerous substances

The governor of the US state of Louisiana, on Friday (May 24) signed a first-of-its-kind legislation that added two abortion-inducing drugs to the state’s list of controlled and dangerous substances. This comes after the Republican lawmakers in the southern US state passed the bill which would criminalise possession of abortion pills without a prescription.

About the bill

The signing of the bill makes Louisiana the only state in the US to categorise mifepristone and misoprostol – medicines that are used in medication abortions, the most common method of abortion in the United States – as controlled dangerous substances.

The legislation waspassed by 64-29 in the state house and 29-7 in the state senate, and was later signed into law by Republican Governor Jeff Landry adding the abortion drugs to Schedule IV of the state’s Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law.

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The bill now places mifepristone and misoprostol, commonly used for abortions including at-home medication abortions in the same category as Valium and Xanax.

The possession of abortion drugs in question, without a prescription, would be punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The bill exempts authorised medical practitioners from prosecution as well as pregnant women if they have the medication for their own use.

Opponents of the legislation, including many physicians, argued that abortion drugs have other critical reproductive health care uses and changing the classification would make it more difficult to prescribe the medicines, reported the Associated Press.

Ahead of the passage of the bill, over 200 doctors in the state signed a letter to lawmakers warning that the measure could produce a “barrier to physicians’ ease of prescribing appropriate treatment” and cause unnecessary fear and confusion among both patients and physicians.

On the other hand, the supporters of the bill, as per AP have said that it would protect expectant mothers from coerced abortions, citing3one example of that happening in the state of Texas.

The new law will take effect on October 1.

‘Outrageous’

US President Joe Biden called the move by Louisiana lawmakers “outrageous” and went on to blame his predecessor, Donald Trump.

“This is a direct result of Trump overturning Roe v. Wade,” said the US president in a statement by his campaign, referring to the landmark Supreme Court ruling that had enshrined the right to abortion in the US Constitution.

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He added, “This is a scary time for women across America. If Donald Trump regains power, he will try to make what is happening in states like Louisiana a reality nationwide.”

Abortion rights remain one of the most hotly debated topics across the US ahead of the presidential election in November where several states have and are seeking to put the medical procedure on the ballot this year.

(With inputs from agencies)