The state legislature in Louisiana, a conservative state in the American South, finally approved yesterday Thursday a proposed law that criminalizes the possession of abortion pills without a prescription.

The text, passed by the Senate and the House, classifies abortion pills as dangerous substances, something unprecedented in the US.

He is expected to be endorsed by the state’s Republican governor, Jeff Landry.

The development comes as the issue of abortion and reproductive rights has become a key issue in the campaign ahead of the November 5 presidential election, when Democratic President Joe Biden will face off against his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.

The law designates mifepristone and misoprostol, substances generally used to terminate intrauterine pregnancies, as controlled substances, placing them on the same level as drugs such as Valium and Xanax.

Possession of these pills without a prescription carries jail terms and thousands of dollars in fines.

However, authorized doctors are exempt from prosecution, as are pregnant women who are in possession of such preparations for personal use.

US Vice President Kamala Harris called the law “unacceptable” on Tuesday.

“Let’s be clear: Donald Trump is to blame,” he added.

The Republican former president (2017-2021) was the architect of the federal Supreme Court’s 2022 reversal of the constitutional right to abortion, after which many US states banned or imposed severe restrictions on abortion procedures.

In Louisiana, abortion is prohibited in almost all cases.

The Supreme Court heard a case related to mifepristone in March, and a majority of justices appeared to reject restrictions on the pill.

The decision of the top judicial institution is expected to be issued in June.