Louisiana House passes bill that would classify abortion drugs as controlled dangerous substances

The Louisiana state House passed an amended bill on Tuesday that would classify the abortion-inducing drugs misoprostol and mifeprostone as Schedule IV controlled dangerous substances in the state, placing them in the same category as highly regulated drugs such as narcotics and depressants.

The Louisiana state House on Tuesday passed an amended bill that would classify the abortion-inducing drugs misoprostol and mifeprostone as Schedule IV controlled dangerous substances in the state, placing them in the same category as highly regulated drugs such as narcotics and depressants. The House’s final passage vote was 64-29, and the bill now heads back to the Senate for concurrence. Senate Bill 276 would make it a crime to give abortion medication to a person without their consent. The amendment that would classify the drugs as Schedule IV substances was added after it passed out of the Senate. The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Thomas Pressly, said he proposed the legislation after his sister was given misoprostol against her will. Abortion is already banned in Louisiana with no exceptions for rape or incest. In a medication abortion, mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone, which is needed for a pregnancy to continue. A second drug, misoprostol, is taken within the next 24 to 48 hours. Misoprostol causes the uterus to contract, creating cramping and bleeding. Approved for use in other conditions, such as preventing stomach ulcers, the drug has been available at pharmacies for decades. The amended bill would make it a felony – punishable with up to five years in prison and fines of up to $5,000 – for anyone found in possession of the drugs without a valid prescription.