Arkansas A.G. Urges U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Restrict Abortion Pills

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On Monday, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin signed a formal letter with other state attorneys general urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reinstate safety protocols for mifepristone — an abortion drug also known as RU-486.

When the FDA first approved RU-486 in 2000, a woman seeking a drug-induced abortion was required to visit the doctor three times — which included an initial medical evaluation and follow-up appointments to ensure that the woman did not experience health complications.

In 2016, that number of visits was reduced from three to one.

Then in 2021, the FDA removed the in-person visit with a doctor altogether — making it possible to obtain RU-486 at a pharmacy or through the mail without a medical exam or sonogram.

A recent study by the experts at the Ethics and Public Policy Center shows abortion drugs are at least 22 times more dangerous than previously thought.

Researchers found that from 2017 to 2023, nearly one in nine women suffered serious health complications like sepsis, infection, and hemorrhaging as a direct result of the abortion drugs.

In a statement released Monday, Attorney General Griffin said his office is joining with other leaders asking the FDA to protect women and unborn children these dangerous abortion drugs, writing:

I have joined 21 other state attorneys general in urging the FDA to reinstate critical safety protocols for mifepristone prescriptions. Mifepristone is illegal in Arkansas. Yet some companies are actively working to give Arkansans access to these abortion pills unlawfully, while downplaying the serious risks they pose to women’s health. A recent study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center found that serious adverse effects occur in more than 1 in 10 chemical abortions—22 times higher than what’s stated on the drug’s label. I have and will continue to defend and enforce the Arkansas Laws to protect Arkansas’s from harmful and illegal drugs here in the state.

Abortion drugs don’t just kill unborn children. They also hurt women. 

Official reports from the Arkansas Department of Health reveal that between 2020 and 2022 at least 1 in 50 women who took abortion drugs in Arkansas reported complications.

Over the years, Arkansas’ legislators have enacted laws prohibiting abortion and preventing abortion drugs from being delivered by mail in Arkansas, but the FDA and the federal government have undermined these good, pro-life laws.

We appreciate Attorney General Griffin’s leadership on this issue and his willingness to stand up for women and unborn children. Abortion drugs are dangerous. They simply should not be for sale in America.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Pro-Abortion Shield Laws May Violate U.S. Constitution, Undermine State Laws: A.G. Letter

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On Tuesday, Attorney General Tim Griffin issued four cease-and-desist letters to companies responsible for marketing abortion pills to Arkansans and sent a letter to Washington urging congressional leaders to consider measures to help states enforce their pro-life laws.

Arkansas generally prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother, and state law prohibits abortion drugs from being delivered or distributed in the state. However, pro-abortion states are enacting “shield laws” to protect abortionists who ship abortion drugs across the country. Attorney General Griffin says entities in these states are deliberately targeting women in Arkansas and elsewhere.

Family Council previously reported how Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said his office is leading a letter along with 15 other state attorneys general asking congress to address these pro-abortion “shield laws.” Below is a little more information about the letter itself — and what congress might do to address these pro-abortion laws.

The A.G.’s letter to leaders in the U.S. House and Senate outlines some of the legal problems with these pro-abortion “shield laws.”

For example, the letter argues that “shield laws” violate the U.S. Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause, because they fail to give full faith and credit to state laws prohibiting mail-order abortion drugs. The letter says,

When New York or California refuses to respect a criminal prosecution or a civil judgment against an individual who is accused of violating the abortion laws of another State, they are refusing to give full faith and credit to that State’s judicial proceedings.

The letter also argues that “shield laws” could violate the Extradition Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The letter urges congress to “assess whether it should tackle this issue head on with legislation that preempts state shield laws.”

Abortion drugs don’t just kill unborn children. They also hurt women. 

A recent study by the experts at the Ethics and Public Policy Center shows abortion drugs are at least 22 times more dangerous than previously thought.

The study found that from 2017 to 2023, nearly one in nine women suffered serious health complications like sepsis, infection, and hemorrhaging as a direct result of the abortion drugs.

We appreciate Attorney General Griffin’s leadership on this issue and his willingness to stand up for Arkansas’ pro-life values. Abortion drugs simply should not be for sale in America — and abortionists certainly should not be free to break Arkansas law by mailing them into the state.

You Can Read the A.G.’s letter to Congress Here.

You Can Click Here to Read The A.G.’s Cease-and-Desist Letters to Possibility Labs of San Francisco; Mayday Medicines Inc. of New York; Dreamscape International of Singapore; and Cloudflare of San Francisco.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Unpacking the A.G.’s Four Cease-and-Desist Letters on Abortion Drugs

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Yesterday we reported how the Arkansas Attorney General has issued cease-and-desist letters to companies responsible for marketing abortion pills to Arkansans in violation of state law.

Arkansas generally prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother, and state law also prohibits abortion drugs from being delivered or distributed in the state. However, some abortionists ship abortion drugs across state lines. Attorney General Griffin says some of these entities are deliberately targeting women in Arkansas and elsewhere.

On July 29, A.G. Griffin’s office issued cease-and-desist letters to companies associated with Plan C, Mayday Health, and LifeOnEasyPills.org — all of which allegedly promote mail-order abortion drugs to women in Arkansas.

These letters warn the groups that Arkansas law generally prohibits the shipment or delivery of abortion drugs into the state. They also challenge misleading claims on the groups’ websites about the safety of abortion pills.

For example, the A.G.’s letter says Plan C describes abortion pills as “very safe,” but the A.G.’s legal team points out a 2025 study found that more than 10% of women who used abortion drugs experienced sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event.

The cease-and-desist letters allege the pro-abortion advertisements may violate the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. If the companies do not stop promoting abortion pills to Arkansans, the letters say they could face a formal investigation and civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

The message from the A.G.’s office is clear: Arkansas will not be a target for out-of-state abortion pill traffickers.

We appreciate Attorney General Griffin’s strong pro-life stance and his willingness to hold violators accountable.

You Can Click Here to Read The A.G.’s Cease-and-Desist Letters to Possibility Labs of San Francisco; Mayday Medicines Inc. of New York; Dreamscape International of Singapore; and Cloudflare of San Francisco.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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