Calls to boycott Walgreens went from the streets to the internet as America’s largest pharmaceutical chain said it would comply with state laws prohibiting the distribution of abortion pills. The company also said their decision extends to states where abortion is legal.
Walgreens Sparks Calls For Boycotts After Refusing To Dispense Abortion Pills In Some States pic.twitter.com/3O3sAhE042
— Nordammarketing (@Nordammarketin2) March 7, 2023
The company’s decision was influenced by a letter signed by Twenty state attorney generals dated February 1. The letter was sent to Walgreens Boots Alliance Executive Vice President Danielle Gray.
“We emphasize that it is our responsibility as State Attorneys General to uphold the law and protect the health, safety, and well-being of women and unborn children in our states. Part of that responsibility includes ensuring that companies like yours are fully informed of the law so that harm does not come to our citizens,” the letter read.
Hashtags #Walgreens and #BoycottWalgreens both trended on Twitter in the wake of the announcement. Filmmaker Micheal Moore also kicked against Walgreens’ announcement as he encouraged people to boycott the company. The actor expressed his pro-choice views on his website.
“This decision by Walgreens to further cement women’s status as second-class citizens must be met forcefully by each and every one of us. Every day of our silence since last Thursday is another day of you and I enabling this bigotry and misogyny. Please join with me and others in a NATIONWIDE BOYCOTT OF WALGREENS. They must reverse their decision immediately,” Moore wrote on his website.
California won't be doing business with @walgreens — or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women's lives at risk.
We're done.https://t.co/OB10cYfm8H
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 6, 2023
Despite the calls for a boycott, pro-life supporters are celebrating Walgreen’s decision, with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach hailing the announcement.
According to The Blaze Report, Kobach, the pharmaceutical company’s refusal to distribute abortion pills is a crucial victory for the pro-life cause and women’s health. She added that dispensing these pills without expert supervision puts women at risk of complications and coercion. Kobach commended Walgreen for being reasonable and compliant with the law.
Walgreens’ commitment to abiding by federal and state laws prohibiting dispensing abortion drugs through the mail includes the following states; Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
