Religious Right Blocked Morning After Pill

Knight Ridder reports on another act of the American Taliban to restrict liberty in the United States and impose their religious views upon all:

Internal documents made public Thursday have raised new questions about the federal government’s continued refusal to allow over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive known as “Plan B.”

The documents, obtained by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., show that in February 2004, policymakers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no problem in allowing the so-called morning-after pill to be sold without a prescription to women of all ages.

Yet 18 months later, former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford cited concerns about selling the drug to younger teens as a major reason for blocking the move.

The move prompted outrage from women’s rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, who claimed that the agency was blocking the measure for political reasons despite scientific evidence that showed nonprescription sales of the pill were safe.

One FDA official opposed to the decision resigned.

How could this occur? The obvious answer is at the end: “Two FDA advisory panels recommended the sale of Plan B without a prescription in December 2003. But strong opposition by religious and conservative groups and the Bush administration has delayed final agency action on the measure.”