Tesco supermarkets in north Somerset, England, aim at halving the rate of teenage pregnancies by 2010. Teenagers will be able to pick up the morning-after pill for free after a detailed interview at their local supermarket as they buy groceries.
Pro-life groups criticized the pilot scheme. Nuala Scarisbrick, a trustee of the Life charity, urged Life’s 35,000 members to boycott Tesco.
Sainsbury, the supermarket group, is taking part in a similar scheme in Bristol.
Moderator Comment: What do you think about Tesco and Sainsbury’s program to distribute the morning-after pill to girls under 20 for free?
There would be an immediate and very public reaction by pro-life groups if a retailer developed this type of program in the States. Just look at the controversy surrounding free condom distribution programs.
Tesco and Sainsbury must have calculated that even with a negative response from many that the net bottom line reaction will be positive.
[George
Anderson – Moderator]