Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer expressed on Friday that claiming the widely used abortion drug currently under federal assessment is “safer than Tylenol” is simply “plainly false.” He has initiated a multimillion-dollar lawsuit based on the RICO statute.
Mifepristone works by blocking the pregnancy hormone progesterone and is part of a two-drug regimen, which critics refer to as “chemical abortion.” After about 24 hours of taking mifepristone, women typically take misoprostol, which induces contractions to expel the fetus.
While the FDA allows mifepristone to be prescribed within the first ten weeks of pregnancy, both Florida and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty McCulley are conducting independent reviews concerning its safety.
Usmeyer pointed out increasing evidence that mifepristone can lead to serious health complications, noting that one death per year on average this century has been linked to its usage.
The attorney general’s lawsuit estimates damages at $350 million, based on statutory claims of $10,000 for each affected Floridian in approximately 35,000 cases. He has contested any comparison of a common painkiller—under recent federal review—to a substance associated with “chemical abortion.”
“Planned Parenthood is profiting from selling abortions to vulnerable women by lying that the abortion pill is safer than Tylenol,” Usmeyer argued in official documents.
The promotion of mifepristone as being “safer than Tylenol” has persisted for years, particularly targeting women in Florida. Usmeyer highlighted a recent instance where Family Planning Florida Action made this claim on social media, stating that it is “clearly false.”
Tylenol, which is essentially acetaminophen, has often been deemed a standard medication, though it has its share of controversies, such as past debates over whether it connects to autism and a tragic incident in the 1980s involving cyanide-laced capsules.
Florida’s lawsuit argues that family planning organizations were aware that their claims about Tylenol and mifepristone were misleading and harmful to women’s understanding of the risks associated with chemical abortions.
The state alleges that the use of these abortion drugs frequently leads to women requiring emergency medical attention for complications like heavy bleeding.
Usmeyer’s filings referred to analysis suggesting that around 10% of women who underwent a “chemical abortion” faced severe health issues like sepsis within 45 days.
The lawsuit contends that family planning organizations might prefer chemical abortions over surgical ones simply because they are financially more advantageous.
According to the complaint, Planned Parenthood’s latest report shows more than $2 billion in revenue and over $3.1 billion in assets, suggesting a strategic focus on profitable abortion services while downplaying less profitable medical care, such as cancer screenings.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims Planned Parenthood violated the RICO Act, typically associated with organized crime, due to their repeated marketing of mifepristone’s safety.
Florida is seeking judicial acknowledgment of Planned Parenthood’s advertising practices as a “pattern of racketeering activity.”
In response, both Planned Parenthood and Florida officials pushed back against Usmeyer’s assertions. Susan Baker Manning, Planned Parenthood’s general counsel, stressed that mifepristone has been safe and effective for over two decades and indicated they are prepared for a legal fight.
Alexandra Mandado, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Florida, reiterated that their organization provides patients with medically accurate information and quality care, expressing confidence that these politically motivated attacks will not alter their operations.
Kenview, which produces Tylenol, also defended the brand against claims connecting it to autism, emphasizing that scientific data show acetaminophen use is not linked to such risks.
