Ireland debates legalising abortion: A $83 pill is shaping the conversation

Ireland will vote on proposal to liberalize some of Western Europe's most restrictive abortion laws, with polls suggesting the government's plan will carry the day

An $83 pill whose use carries a 14-year jail sentence is helping drive Ireland’s abortion debate.

On May 25, Ireland will vote on a proposal to liberalize some of Western Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws, with polls suggesting the government’s plan will carry the day. Bookmakers’ odds suggest the government, which wants to give lawmakers power to legislate for terminations, has about an 85 percent chance of succeeding.

In his effort to settle the last great secular-religious issue in Ireland, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is framing much of his campaign around the idea that abortion is already a