Many abortion campaigners have insisted that pro-life laws are pointless because some women order abortion pills online. This is a red herring.
The truth is, the online purchase of illegal abortion pills are a worldwide problem, even in jurisdictions where abortion is free and readily available. Their use in Ireland is an issue for the authorities and custom control, and certainly does not warrant the removal of the right to life of the unborn from the Constitution.
A spokesperson for Britain’s largest abortion provider BPAS has complained that “staggering” numbers of illegal abortion pills are being used in Britain[1]. Introducing abortion on demand in Ireland will not prevent the use of illegal abortion pills here.
In an ideal world, we would be working towards reducing the number of abortions taking place, because in every abortion a baby loses his or her life and a woman runs the risk of serious physical or psychological harm. This remains the case whether the abortion takes place surgically or using an abortion pill. Life-ending pills must be regulated while we work towards building a society that protects and respects human life, born and unborn.