CNN reports:

Fierce arguments have gone on inside and outside the Food and Drug Administration, which may decide as soon as this week whether drug stores can sell the emergency contraception known as Plan B without a prescription to women age 16 and older.

Each side accuses the other of manipulating science for political purpose.

Plan B supporters say the pill is a safe way to prevent thousands of unwanted pregnancies and the abortions that sometimes follow. Making the contraception available over the counter, they say, is crucial for women who might need the protection over a weekend or when it is difficult to obtain a prescription.

Plan B can prevent pregnancy for up to 72 hours after sex. The sooner the pill is taken, the more effective it is.

"Women's reproductive rights shouldn't hinge on someone else's schedule. We should have this at our fingertips. It should be next to condoms in drug stores," said Kelly Mangan, 22, president of the University of Florida's chapter of the National Organization for Women. She was arrested this month in a protest outside the FDA's headquarters in suburban Maryland.

Opponents worry that the drug encourages women -- teenagers in particular -- to have risky sex. If over-the-counter sales are permitted, older teenagers or adults might buy the pills for some of their younger friends or their sexual partners, critics say.

"It encourages risky sexual activity with the promise 'just pop a pill in the morning and you don't need to worry about pregnancy,"' said Wendy Wright of Concerned Women of America, a conservative group that focuses on social issues.

It never ceases to amaze me what great lengths we go to in this country to ensure that people don't have to deal with the consequences of their actions. I said it from the beginning. This entire effort is intended to get the morning after pill into the hands of teen-agers. (See Planned Parenthood's nifty little pamphlet with instructions on how to use the pill) They sure are on top of their game.