Louisiana lawmakers recently approved a bill that would classify two medications commonly used to induce abortion as controlled dangerous substances in the state. The bill, supported by anti-abortion groups, would make possession of the drugs without a valid prescription punishable by fines, jail time, or both. Medical professionals and reproductive rights advocates have expressed alarm over the measure, as medication abortions accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023. The legislation, if signed into law by the governor, would criminalize possession of mifepristone and misoprostol without a valid prescription.
The medications in question have critical uses beyond abortion care, including aiding in labor and delivery, treatment of miscarriages, and preventing gastrointestinal ulcers. The bill would also criminalize coerced criminal abortion through the use of fraud, punishing those who attempt to cause an abortion without the pregnant person’s consent. Republican state Sen. Thomas Pressly introduced the bill after his sister was a victim of abortion medication being surreptitiously given to her during pregnancy. Doctors have spoken out against the bill, citing concerns that the reclassification of the medications as controlled dangerous substances is not scientifically based.
The bill would make Louisiana the only state to categorize mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances. Doctors argue that the medications are safe and effective, with many other medical applications beyond abortion. More than 250 doctors wrote a letter to Pressly expressing concern that this reclassification would create a false perception of the drugs as dangerous. State Rep. Mandie Landry attempted to have the bill recommitted to the legislature’s Health and Welfare Committee due to the potential negative impact on rural clinics’ ability to store and provide the medications, but her motion was voted down.
Proponents of the bill argue that it is intended to ensure the appropriate and legitimate use of the medications for medical reasons other than abortion. They claim that abortion is already illegal in Louisiana and that the bill is not aimed at creating additional challenges for medical providers. Republican Rep. Julie Emerson clarified that reclassifying the medications as controlled dangerous substances does not prohibit doctors from prescribing or administering them. The bill is pending approval from the Senate before it is sent to the governor for consideration.
Opponents of the bill fear that the reclassification of medications used for abortion would lead to restrictions on access and potentially hurt medical providers’ ability to provide essential care. Doctors stress the importance of evidence-based care for pregnant women and argue that the bill is not based on sound scientific principles. The bill’s passage has sparked a debate between those who believe it is necessary to prevent coerced abortions and those who argue that it will unnecessarily complicate medical care. The future of the legislation remains uncertain as it moves through the legislative process in Louisiana.
