2004 Year in Review

Manzullo Urges FDA to Pass on "Plan B," Protect Our Children

[WASHINGTON] Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) today said a proposal to let Americans buy the morning-after pill over the counter would threaten the safety of our children and give sexual predators another tool to shield their crimes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is mulling an opinion from its advisory board which recommended last year that the morning-after pill, also known as "Plan B," be sold over the counter.

Manzullo and his colleagues, Reps. Dave Weldon (R-FL) and Melissa Hart (R-PA), held a news conference to highlight the dangers of selling the morning-after pill over the counter. The group also urged FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan to deny approval for Plan B to be sold over the counter. Plan B is currently sold through prescription. A minor seeking the morning-after pill would have to visit a medical professional, who is required by law to report suspected instances of sexual abuse.

Manzullo led the national effort to change federal law six years ago when he learned a 37-year-old teacher from northern Illinois had used a federal family planning program to conceal his sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. The teacher repeatedly took the girl to a federally funded clinic for birth control injections during the 18 months he was sexually assaulting her. Congress changed the law in 1998, requiring federally funded clinics to follow state requirements for reporting cases of sexual abuse.

Manzullo is concerned that converting the morning-after pill to over-the-counter status would give child predators another method to conceal their criminal behavior. "Instead of driving the victim to a health clinic to obtain contraception, these predators could keep a stash of morning-after pills in their bathroom cabinets to administer to their victims," Manzullo said. "It's easy to see how these predators would use an over-the-counter Plan B pill to harm our children and shield their crimes. I implore FDA Commissioner McClellan to deny over-the-counter approval for the morning-after pill."

by  Editor, theCity1.com
February 2, 2004