Arkansas A.G. Discusses Abortion Drugs, Shield Laws On “Washington Watch”

Abortion, , , ,

Last week Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin appeared on Family Research Council’s “Washington Watch” to discuss how pro-abortion states are enacting “shield laws” that help abortionists ship abortion drugs into states like Arkansas.

Attorney General Griffin recently sent cease-and-desist letters to out-of-state companies advertising abortion in Arkansas. He has also urged the federal government to restrict abortion drugs and let states like Arkansas enforce their pro-life 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 found abortion drugs are at least 22 times more dangerous than previously thought. Researchers determined 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 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.

READ MORE

Divorce is Down and Family Stability is Up: New Study

Marriage

A new study by scholars at the Institute for Family Studies has found divorce rates are down, family stability is improving, and most children are being raised in two-parent households.

While IFS predicts that one-third of young adults will never marry and one-fourth may not have children, the study found “major shifts” suggesting that marriage is becoming stronger in America. “Divorce is down,” the authors write, “as is single parenthood, and the share of kids being raised in stable married families is ticking up.”

When it comes to divorce rates, the study says, “The bottom line: Most married couples will make it.”

All of this is good news for several reasons.

Marriage is not “just a piece of paper,” and a wedding is more than just a social event.

Research repeatedly has shown that healthy marriages are good for adults, good for children, and good for society.

Cohabiting relationships tend to be less happy and less healthy. Meanwhile, children with a married mother and father are less likely to live in poverty.

Married couples report more satisfaction across the board than cohabiting couples, and marriage is also broadly connected with better health and wellbeing. In fact, a 2016 article from Harvard noted that marriage is tied to living longer, having fewer strokes, and enjoying better mental wellbeing.

Good relationships and healthy marriages are part of human flourishing. We ought to do what we can to promote marriage in Arkansas, and we ought to celebrate the fact that marriage rates seem to be on the upswing in our country.

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

READ MORE

Story Underscores Deadly Risks of Kratom

Drugs,

A recent news story highlights the dangers of kratom products.

Kratom is a harmful and addictive drug. Although it is often marketed as a dietary supplement in the U.S., kratom mimic the effects of opioids and can lead to addiction, seizures, and even death.

The New York Post writes, “Jordan McKibban died at age 37 while taking kratom, an ‘all-natural’ supplement available online and in stores.”

The article highlights how kratom products are marketed in the U.S., noting:

Kratom products — sold in powders, gummies and energy-looking drinks — come from a plant native to Southeast Asia and can act like a stimulant at lower doses and a sedative at higher ones.

While they’re readily found online, in brick-and-mortar stores and even gas stations as catch-all solutions to everything from fatigue to opioid withdrawal, the Food and Drug Administration says kratom and its key components are “not lawfully marketed” in the US as a drug product, dietary supplement or food additive.

The article also points out the specific dangers of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a powerful substance found in kratom.

The FDA recently recommended new restrictions on 7-OH. FDA officials say they are particularly concerned about 7-OH products that appeal to children and teens — including gummies and other candies.

Last April, lawmakers voted not to pass a bad bill that would have legalized kratom and 7-OH in Arkansas.

During his remarks against the bill, Rep. Zack Gramlich (R — Fort Smith) described a seventh-grader who was caught using kratom and trying to sell it to other students at a school in his district a few years ago.

Fortunately, efforts to legalize kratom in Arkansas have failed, and the Arkansas Department of Health has restricted 7-OH as a Schedule I substance.

Heartbreaking stories like Jordan McKibban’s remind us that kratom and 7-OH are dangerous drugs that our public health officials must take seriously.

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

READ MORE