Louisiana is on the verge of becoming the first state in the country to reclassify two commonly used abortion drugs as controlled and dangerous substances. Dr. Smita Prasad, an assistant professor at Tulane Medical School, is an expert in addictive medicine. She believes the bill is an effort to keep the drugs out of the state. “This is really abusing how the DEA intended to schedule dangerous medications," Prasad said. As President of the Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine, Prasad has voiced her opposition to the bill. Meanwhile, supporters of the bill think the drugs are a risk to public health. SB 276 will make it illegal to possess Mifepristone and Misoprostol without a prescription, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $75,000 in fines. The drug combination was used in more than half of abortions nationwide last year, and the FDA says it's effective. In a tense exchange on the Senate floor Thursday, State Senator Royce Duplessis (D - New Orleans) questioned the bill's author, Senator Thomas Pressly (R - Shreveport). “Your amendment will cause a delay and put a barrier to their access to it when they need it the most, especially in rural communities," Duplessis said.