holley75 - If you mean dispensing 'morning-after' pills through a vending machine in a college health center, I completely agree. What I do not think is a good idea, however, is for the FDA to spend any of its extremely limited resources investigating it.

In fact, I think it's completely idiotic given the literally thousands of more pressing issues on the agency's plate. Religious fundamentalism strikes again to the general detriment of the population at large.

This is a great idea.

It's in the Student Health Center and not available to the general public.

I see absolutely no problem with this approach.

I agree, but the Christers in the FDA just had to get involved.

Not to mention it's been there for two years.

God forbid a pregnant girl under 17 get a hold of this pill, I mean think of the ramification, the end of an unwanted pregnancy I won't have to pay for.

If Obama is so liberal, why does he not step in and stop this stupidity. The reason he does not is that he is a closet conservative. He does not want his supporters to know this so he keeps quiet. Marijana is another instance where he hides behind his cabinate. What a coward.

Obama is a moderate; he never ran as a liberal.

I'm a conservative, and this is fine by me. Life starts way before the 6 months stated in Rowe v Wade, but it certainly doesn't start at conception. Hammering out when...that's the difficult part.

I do not understand why the FDA is getting involved in this. This vending machine is located in the student health center and is not accessible to the general public. Everyone at the school is of the age required to have access to the medication without a prescription. There is nothing here to investigate. This is a completely political move being made to try and placate the right wing politicians and right to life crowd. The only problem is that the only thing that will make them happy is to remove the drug from the machine, and there is no legal basis for doing this. The administration needs to step up and tell the FDA to stop wasting resources investigating non-issues. Either that or cut their budget, since obviously they have money to waste on nonsense so they do not need all the funding they are getting.

If Obama is so liberal, why does he not . . .

Blah blah blah . . . . . . yeah, Cliff, we get it; you don't like the President. Got anything relevant to say about the topic at hand?

This article makes it sound like the entire FDA is knocking on the door of the school asking questions. Keywords: Probe, Investigation, Federal Authorities. Maybe its the news outlet that is the entity trying to make a big deal out of it, ever think of that?

Are there really droves of people and lots of man hours going into this Federal investigation?

OR

Is one person at the FDA making a 20 minute phone call to the school so they can get the details?

Good because we know that no 17-22 year old would ever go get this med and hand it off to a minor. No college students are certainly worthy of trust and just steaming with integrity.

I'm ready for the first court case now where some 19 year old hot after some 15 year old tale passes the pill along to the minor without the appropriate consent, prescription or professional consultation....Seriously would be worthy of jail time...perhaps they might post a warning about inappropriate sharing of prescription meds.

I'm ready for the first court case now where some 19 year old hot after some 15 year old tale passes the pill along to the minor without the appropriate consent, prescription or professional consultation....Seriously would be worthy of jail time

txmom32 -- the jail time would be for statutory rape, not for facilitating access to birth control.

Remember the leaders of the organized religion of his time enticed the populous to put Christ to death. Look it up. Hell it's all over in the churches around easter. It's like their bragging. If you look at the man and his teachings you will soon see that he sympathized with the poor not the rich. Look at most of the evilgilicals. They're all about your money. If these people want to take such an active roll in our government then they should be taxed accordingly. Federal funds work both ways.

Local high school students used to come into the infirmary on my college campus all the time for free condoms. They walked right past the sign on the door that said 'Students Only" ...right past the receptionist who said nothing ...right into the lounge area and grabbed handfulls at a time.

Noone cared that hhey took them, it's to prevent the spread of disease, but to claim that they are not accessible to anyone under 17 just because of their location is a joke.

Odd that they have NO students under 17, I had several 16 year old classmates my freshman year. It just takes finishing high school ONE semester early, not hard for smart people.

PDK....It certainly is not uncommon for an individual to be charged with more than one crime....Statutory Rape and the delivery of a controlled substance to a minor...add to that endangerment of a minor.

txmom32 - we're getting a little off-topic here. Your original argument was based on a slew of false premises that would appear to be far more reflective of your personal opinions/biases than objective reality.

You then concocted an extremely unlikely imaginary scenario based on those false premises to demonstrate why people should be just as opposed to the idea as you are (i.e. morning after pills dispensed via vending machine in a college health center). In short, your arguments are based on pure fantasy, and as such, do not warrant any further comment.

While I think it should be easily available to students, I don't think having it in a vending machine is a good idea. The college says it isn't a problem because they have no students under 17. So does this mean that if they have under 17 students in the future, they will stop stocking it with Plan B? My thoughts are this Plan B vending machine is just the health department being too lazy to have somebody bother their clerk for a pill. Having it in a vending machine just provides too many opportunities for the stuff to be abused. I can just see some guy who got his girlfriend pregnant buying these, then slipping several of them into her drink with the hopes of making her abort. There are other scenarios I can think of easily too where somebody could try to abuse it.

That is why I feel it should be behind the counter. By no means should they stop selling it, but it shouldn't be as easy to get as pulling out a bunch of condoms from the condom basket at the health facility front desk.

PDK...Is it legal for a minor under the age of 17 to have access to the medication without a prescription? That was certainly covered in the story. The answer is no. The school felt justified in placing this medication in a vending machine based on the fact that they did not identify any student population under the age or 17 in their school. So the school liability is covered based on the fact that they are only giving access to students at the school. Where I believe that all Colleges and Universities have honor codes I think it is a bit far fetched to believe that it would cover vending machine goods.

I have no problem with the University having this medication available to their student body. I do believe that they should, as a reasonable measure, have a dispensing system that would eliminate further distribution of the drug beyond their campus.

There are any number of unreasonable actions that could and probably have occurred through a lax system of controls. These are college kids who can be every bit as savvy as the corner drug dealer. Stop in before going home for break, buy $50 worth of tablets and turn that into $500 selling it at their former high school.

An extremely unlikely imaginary scenario?

Are you saying that College boys are not interested in high school girls (or younger)?

Are you just saying that they don't have anything to loose if they get a minor pregnant?

Are you saying that if someone is bright or lucky enough to get into college they are no longer opportunists?

In short, your arguments are based on pure fantasy, and as such, do not warrant any further comment.

Good to know because it took you to the end of your second paragraph to state that it wasn't worthy of comment.

txmom32 -- how about we stick to the issue at hand. If I understand correctly, your position is that you do not believe the access controls implemented by the school are sufficient to prevent unauthorized access to the pills. Is that correct? If so, then I'm happy to respond to that with the facts available, specifically:

The machine is in the school's Etter Health Center, which only students and university employees can access, Gigliotti said in a statement. In addition, "no one can walk in off the street and go into the health center," he said; students must check in at a lobby desk before being allowed in

This seems like a reasonable level of restricted access to me. As far as distribution controls outside campus, there is no reasonable and efficient way in which to do so. It's sort of like advocating that a pharmacy should be responsible for ensuring that its customers do not sell their prescription drugs. There are deterrents, in that it's against the law, but there's no practical way to control it once it leaves their inventory.

As for my statement that your arguments did warrant further comment, I was referring to those based on false premises and fantasy. And, I said it in conclusion, because it would be silly to make such a statement at the beginning of a post, then follow it with "further comment." I hope this helps clarify my previous post. Again, if you would like to discuss the matter at hand in the context of objective facts, I'm happy to do so.

Objectively...If I went and had a script filled for Oxi...and sold those pills to anyone I could be charged with distribution of a controlled substance. If a student who has access to the "vending machine" goes into their health center and purchases $50 dollars of the medication they are welcome to walk out of the center and sell that drug to anyone above the age of 17 in that state. If they choose to sell or give that drug to someone under the age of 17 then they are subject to the same laws of selling/providing a controlled substance to a minor.

I am sure that the School can release themselves of any liability that could be directly connected. I am sure that the legal department went through every legal liability that could directly affect them. What they have not considered are liabilities that could affect their student body through their actions as there is no way to trace abuse back to the vending machine of a drug that is regulated for minors.

Certainly they don't dispense flu shots from a vending machine. They probably do not dispense a variety of 28 day birth control bills via vending machine. They probably do not dispense pseudoephedrine through a vending machine.

txmom32 -- How is this latest hypothetical scenario you described any different than a student legally purchasing the pills at a pharmacy, then selling or giving them to someone else? Both settings have taken every reasonable precaution to ensure that under-age people cannot purchase the pills. As for flu shots, etc., totally irrelevant.

In short, the absence of legitimate objective data in your arguments seems to imply that you are simply opposed to the Plan B pill on principle. If that's your position, then just say so, instead of using all these disingenuous rhetorical devices to make an oblique attack on the issue by focusing on the method of distribution.

PDK...I am not opposed to the pill at all. It is a viable alternative for a consenting adult or a minor with parental consent to avoid pregnancy. Like everything else with access comes reasonable discretion and responsibility. My concern is not the Plan B pill or terminating pregnancy. I am absolutely pro-choice.

The concern is as stated above minors who have access to Plan B without a prescription but more importantly parental knowledge. Without consultation regarding the drug and effect of taking the drug.

There are precautions and side effects associated with Plan B... Parents have a responsibility to attend to the medical concerns of their child....Many of the side effects can mimic a number of other conditions...If the primary care giver is not aware that their child has taken the medication then attempts to render care or seek medical support can be useless full without disclosure.

The concern is as stated above minors who have access to Plan B without a prescription but more importantly parental knowledge. Without consultation regarding the drug and effect of taking the drug.

txmom32 - It's a legitimate concern, and I don't disagree. My point was simply that the University appears to have adequately limited access to the pills, thus addressing that legitimate concern in a reasonable manner. And, the various scenarios you outlined would equally apply in the case of obtaining the pills from a pharmacy, hence my confusion about your position. Thanks for clarifying. Peace.

FDA not FBI. A different bunch of idiots.

Where was the Plan B vending machine kept on the college campuses that you visited, Eugene?

Probably in his dorm room

Wait. So you want 13 year old girls to get pregnant?! I'm sorry, but your argument is ludicrous. If it were up to me, contraceptives would be in High School vending machines throughout the country. The less potential stars for "16 and Pregnant" the better.

The less potential stars for "16 and Pregnant" the better.

Hahaha. Great call, NSIndiana!

What's to stop said 13-year old from slipping someone a fiver to get it from the pharmacist? Same thing that's stopping them from having someone get it from the vending machine, nothing. So? Better the 13 year old gets pregnant?

What is to stop under aged people from getting booze, or smokes? I would rather see everyone have the opportunity to purchase contraceptives that are child bearing age.

It's up to the parents to teach their kids about sex, not the schools or the tea baggers. It is the parents responsibility, and some of them fail at it. But better the morning after pill than a abortion.

If a 13 year old girl is hanging out on university campuses after a hot night, and slipping college kids an extra 5 bucks to pick up her Plan B for her, I think:

A. Who told her about plan b but didn't want to get it for her?

B. There's a lot bigger fish to fry than her shady Plan B usage. At least she has a reduced chance of getting pregnant.

C. That some ridiculous person is on the interwebz making up silly reasons why this vetted vending machine is a bad idea.

I really don't understand why ppl freak out about contraceptives so much. They really are a good thing.

Can you pinheads not read?

"You cannot be a 13-year-old and walk in and get it," Gigliotti said.

That is a bald-faced LIE. Now to address individual pinheadedness...

sadmoronsvote2: There's 1 in the whole country, the one in question.

Rick-546746: Thanks for chiming in.

NSIndiana and PDK: Don't you have to speak to a pharmacist to get this drug otherwise? Why would a pharmacist have to waste time like this, if there weren't reason to worry? If it's no different than getting a candy bar, why aren't these machines everywhere? There's a reason, take some time, find someone with a brain to explain it to you.

"Wait. So you want 13 year old girls to get pregnant?"---Umm, it's a morning-after pill. They might already be pregnant. And advocating this as regular birth control? For people too young to drive? Irresponsible and retarded. How about we teach kids to NOT GET PREGNANT? No need for a morning-after pill. Let them swallow something else to prevent the problem. How about kids see a doctor and get proper birth control? Oh no, we can't do that. Let's let teenagers medicate themselves. Absolute brilliance.

SallyAnn-4595694: No age limits on condoms, is there? Problem solved, and the girl in question needn't embarrass herself with the purchase, let the guy do it.

Maybe you jackasses need to think a little. It'll hurt at first, but you'll get used to it. Hell, you might even like it. Doubtful, but still, there is a chance.

Maybe you jackasses need to think a little. It'll hurt at first, but you'll get used to it.

Right back at ya, sport.

And Obama did nothing to overrule the head of HHS. Ultimately it is Obama's stupidity.

"I am hearing from younger folks that it is not uncommon for some college girls to have had up to 20 different sex partners by the time they graduate" I totally believe you are hearing that. Shucks, I reckon.

How many partners do the college boys have? Bet their average is much higher. But that's acceptable, isn't it? Their label is 'macho', rather than 'slutty'. Double standard much? And how many of those hookups are helped along by alcohol and roofies? Boys that age spend a significant amount of effort on trying to get laid. But yeah, keep believing the fault is in the girls.

WalkWithMeInHell - It's been there for two years. There have been no spike in orgies and no women have felt compelled to run out sleep with someone just to take advantage of having the morning after pill readily available.

WalkWithMeInHell -- just a thought, and I could certainly be wrong, but you may find people more receptive to your ideas if your screen name invited them for a walk in a more pleasant locale. And, refraining from generational and gender stereotypes probably wouldn't hurt either.

Walk.

Good for those vending machines, now they can make the embryos as disposable to women as their own self-esteem and ability to make long-term meaningful relationships.

I'm not even sure where to begin.

(1) Plan B is birth control. No "embryo" is discarded. An "embryo" occurs after sperm and egg have coupled. Stated another way, Plan B prevents an embryo from forming using the same mechanism as the daily birth control pills many, many women take.

It's truly ironic that the pro lifers are also opposed to sexual education...because by limiting their exposure to the science relating the reproduction, they necessarily limit their ability to have a reasoned opinion about the matter. Have you considered whether this policy stance may not be an accident--i.e., whether your church is intentionally teaching you to espouse ideals that keep you uninformed?

I mean, you do realize that if we had perfect birth control, there would be very little need for an abortion--ever. The two are intrinsically linked. By opposing birth control, you increase the probability that an abortion will occur.

If you succeed in your Quixotic quest to out both, have you considered the resulting state of the world?

(2) Since you've obviously confused "embryo" with "egg"...I'd also point out that eggs are, in fact, disposable...monthly.

(3) Self-esteem. Your statement assumes a woman's self-esteem is derived from her sexual activities or lack thereof. This is what we call "sexual objectification", Chauvinist.

(4) Long term, meaningful relationship. Your statement assumes that the only "long-term, meaningful relationship" a woman could possibly have is one whereby she bears your child, sleeps with only you, rears your children and then takes care of you into old age once they're gone (i.e., a traditional judeo christian marriage).

As a man, I have to say, I've had plenty of long-term, meaningful relationships with women I've shared a bed with. And, though I can't speak for them, I'm pretty sure they feel the same way. Some remain my closest friends. Who are you to impose your desire for a domestic servant on half of humanity?

....I could go on....

What they need is a condom vending machine

The birth control pill and the morning after pill are the same in the sense that they prevent a fertilized egg, called a zygote not an embryo, from attaching to the uterine wall. Without attachment the zygote will not develop into an embryo, fetus or baby. Many zygotes do not attach just due to nature.

The birth control pill taken on a daily basis will also prevent ovulation, the release of an egg from the ovaries. If no egg is released there is no egg to fertilize. If an egg is released the other effect of the pill is to make the uterine wall uninviting if a zygote is formed and preventing implantation.

The religious right wingers against birth control believe that life begins at conception, the minute the egg is fertilized, so the morning after pill and even the birth control pills can end a pregnancy and "kill an innocent child". This is also why they are against the IUD which also prevents implantation.

But the fact remains that many zygotes do not implant and are expelled during the menstrual cycle. So do we punish women who do not have a health reproductive system because their uterus was not welcoming to the zygote? what effect does this have on invitro fertilization procedures? If these people get their way with the current Personhood movement almost all forms of birth control will be outlawed because of this belief.

I do not see a zygote as a fetus or a life and believe every woman has the right to determine what to do with her own body including her eggs, fertilized or not.

The birth control pill and the morning after pill are the same in the sense that they prevent a fertilized egg, called a zygote not an embryo, from attaching to the uterine wall. Without attachment the zygote will not develop into an embryo, fetus or baby. Many zygotes do not attach just due to nature.

The birth control pill taken on a daily basis will also prevent ovulation, the release of an egg from the ovaries. If no egg is released there is no egg to fertilize. If an egg is released the other effect of the pill is to make the uterine wall uninviting if a zygote is formed and preventing implantation.

The religious right wingers against birth control believe that life begins at conception, the minute the egg is fertilized, so the morning after pill and even the birth control pills can end a pregnancy and "kill an innocent child". This is also why they are against the IUD which also prevents implantation.

But the fact remains that many zygotes do not implant and are expelled during the menstrual cycle. So do we punish women who do not have a health reproductive system because their uterus was not welcoming to the zygote? what effect does this have on invitro fertilization procedures? If these people get their way with the current Personhood movement almost all forms of birth control will be outlawed because of this belief.

I do not see a zygote as a fetus or a life and believe every woman has the right to determine what to do with her own body including her eggs, fertilized or not.

First off people need to realize that Plan B costs about $50 a pop. Probably more from a vending machine. Pretty expensive for "routine use". The idea is for a rare case where some other method likely failed or somebody got stupid and went unprotected. Both of those things happen. Most college kids aren't in a position to be forking out $50 every time they get some. It is considered safe, but it isn't exactly totally harmless and can have some potential side effects. I suppose the machines might take cash too, but more likely somebody is going to use a credit or debit card to pay for it. I don't see 13 year old girls frequently having that much cash or a credit card and even if one should take this route, it is probably much better than getting pregnant.

Having it conveniently available makes sense in this environment. Saves somebody a trip to a pharmacy and then having to deal with asking for it from the pharmacist. Could be the difference between someone using it or maybe taking their chances and getting pregnant.

Plan B was not designed to be a substitute for a condom or other birth control means.

Hah. This was my best post ever, and I didn't even try. I usually get 2-3 responses tops. The Libtards are so easy to incite. You can spout off some random crazy stuff, and dozens of people write doctoral dissertations. Like mosquitoes to a cheap bug zapper. It's better that you folks get all kinds of contraception and abortions anyhow, then you will do the world a service by breeding out your dysfunctional moonbat gene pool. Thanks for playing today kids!

You do realize that you just criticized a group of people for responding to you with thought out arguments that support their "doctoral dissertations" regarding a topic in which you did not contribute anything other than incorrect information and the belittlement of women. However, I applaud your success in the art of being a tool.

You're an idiot walkwith.

Walk. I find it funny that you're a troll in both the literal (internet--fishing for responses) and figurative (espousing backwards, chauvinistic views) sense of the word.

You can spout off some random crazy stuff, and dozens of people write doctoral dissertations.

This thread is a very nice example of the underlying dysfunction in American politics. Certain of us that are generally members of the lower socio-economic echelons of society prefer to cling to illogical, hateful, myth driven, ignorant points of view and, when confronted by someone willing to genuinely debate the matter with us, resort to name calling rather than taking the time to use their god given logic to defend their position.

Sadly, I think it's been clearly established at this point that the intrinsic nature of a large society is that finite resources dictate that a large percentage of the population cannot be rigorously educated. Inevitably those who do not receive rigorous education resort to folk wisdom and insular ideology because they lack the ability to support their positions. Basically, the division of labor boils down to this: there are those who think for themselves and those who are told what to think by those who think for themselves. As old Woodrow Wilson said:

We want one class of persons to have a liberal education, and we want another class of persons, a very much larger class, of necessity, in every society, to forego the privileges of a liberal education and fit themselves to perform specific difficult manual tasks.

Interesting question regarding the right to vote follows this line of reasoning, but I won't go there.

Back to your statements, Walk...

It's better that you folks get all kinds of contraception and abortions anyhow, then you will do the world a service by breeding out your dysfunctional moonbat gene pool.

If by dysfunctional you mean literate and informed by science, I'd argue that your post is strong evidence that the devolution many of us are concerned is occurring may in fact be real.

You've also pointed out the prisoner's dilemma that is responsible procreation (i.e., the use of birth control and abortion).

Addressing both issues, if a certain educated segment of society capable of independent thought (and thus the realization that unfettered procreation by 7,000,000,000 people very quickly leads to the extinction of humanity) is willing to avail itself to birth control and a certain uneducated segment of society incapable of independent thought is not, over the long run the educated segment will be bred out via unnatural self selection.

I say "incapable of independent thought" not disparagingly, but rather because the segment of society opposed to birth control steadfastly relies upon a book written when there were less than 10 million people living (i.e., 0.14% vs today) to inform its birth control policy.

Does that not strike you as ridiculous when you consider it? I mean, the book dictating your birth control policy, Walk, was written at a time that predates electricity, the description of gravity, physics, the empirical method, modern chemistry, automobiles, jet travel, the internet, the printing press, antibiotics, vaccinations, etc. by 2000-6000 years.

In a world of finite resources currently containing 7,000,000,000 human beings, should you rely on 2000-6000 year old writings as the end all be all? Doesn't that sound a bit silly to you?

Walk...my view on the matter...your Bible is a computer virus. Plain and simple. It contains illogical commands that, when downloaded, prevent those whose brains are infected to reason. It's downloaded every generation by those infected to their offspring. Eventually, if unremedied, the system aberrations its illogic causes will lead to the destruction of the system itself.

...................

Anyway, I see I've made the mistake again of treating you as an equal and attempting to logically debate a point with you. Next time I see a post by you, I'll have learned my lesson and will respond accordingly: "No, no fries with that."

Wow. That is an excellent point. Where is the outrage over those? My state certainly requires people to be 18 or over to purchase lottery tickets and those vending machines are in my grocery store, gas stations, etc.

I hope the FDA is doing this to head off future nuisance complaints.

It's never been a question of legality. Those who appose it do so on religious grounds.

So who is to ensure that the doctor or pharmacist is competent. Maybe we should have a government bureaucrat watching everything the doctor/pharmacist is doing to ensure safety. Actually maybe we need someone to watch the watchers...

Abortion Pill?? What are you talking about. Read the article. Its not talking about abortion pills. Its talking about "Plan B" I presume you,as an abortion opponent would agree with me that a human life does NOT begin when a man ejaculates into a woman. You presumably believe it occurs at conception. What plan B is,is a very large dose of the same drug that is in a normal birth control pill. When it is taken,it prevents ovulation and therefore prevents pregnancy. There may also be an additional mechanism that reduces the likelihood of implantation however this is disputed by many researchers findings that show that once a woman has ovulated the drug is ineffective in preventing pregnancy.

Davidoff and Trussell wrote in a journal article "the ability of Plan B to interfere with implantation remains speculative, since virtually no evidence supports that mechanism and some evidence contradicts it" and "the best available evidence indicates that Plan B's ability to prevent pregnancy can be fully accounted for by mechanisms that do not involve interference with post-fertilization events.