Abortion drugs on the net

"Customs seized 1,216 packs of illegal abortion drugs in 2009," headlines the Irish Times, which reports that a growing number of women in Ireland are purchasing Misoprestol and Mifepristone, two drugs which are banned in the country, from the Internet. According to the daily, the women who self-administer the abortion inducing drugs often fail to respect dosage guidelines, and must then seek assistance from hospitals, general practitioners and family planning clinics. Most of the women affected said “they could not afford to travel abroad for an abortion or, in the case of immigrant women, felt unable to leave the country due to their residency status." As the Irish Times explains, abortion remains illegal in Ireland, except in cases where there is "a substantial risk to the life and health of the mother." However, "the government has yet to legislate" on the exact implications of this position.