Opinion

Religion At The Drugstore

By Bootie Cosgrove-Mather

November 23, 2004 / 4:19 PM EST / CBS

While this year's presidential election may have illustrated a country divided, particularly on the issue of the role religion should play in the public arena, Americans are clearly united in their opposition to religion interfering with their right to purchase prescription birth control.

According to a CBS News/New York Times poll, eight out of ten Americans believe pharmacists who personally oppose birth control for religious reasons should not refuse to sell oral contraceptives.

Just 16 percent told pollsters that they think pharmacists should be able to refuse to dispense birth control pills on religious grounds.

Should Pharmacists Opposed To Birth Control Be Able To Refuse To Sell Birth Control Pills?

Yes
16%
No
78%

Even though a majority of all demographic groups are opposed to the notion of pharmacists refusing to dispense birth control pills to women for religious reasons, some groups are more open to it than others:

19 percent of men say pharmacists should have the right to refuse to fill a birth control prescription if he or she is personally opposed to birth control, while 14 percent of women think pharmacists should have that right.

25 percent of Americans age 45 to 64 say pharmacists should have the option of refusing to sell birth control pills because they are personally opposed to birth control.

A quarter of those who call themselves Republicans, and the same number who classify themselves as conservatives, say it is OK for pharmacists to refuse a woman birth control pills based on his or her religious beliefs.

21 percent of those who say they voted for President Bush in 2004 support the rights of pharmacists who refuse to dispense birth control pills, compared to 12 percent of those who voted for Sen. John Kerry.

Americans who attend religious services on a weekly basis are more likely than those who attend less often to say pharmacists should be able to decline to fill a prescription for oral contraceptives because of religious beliefs. 7 percent of those who never attend religious services support this right for pharmacists.

Catholics (21 percent) are a bit more likely than Protestants (17 percent) to support the rights of pharmacists who refuse to sell birth control pills because of religious beliefs. Also, 24 percent of white evangelical Christians also favor allowing pharmacists this choice.

Should Pharmacists Opposed To Birth Control Be Able To Refuse To Sell Birth Control Pills?

DEMOGRAPHICS

Total
Yes
16%
No
78%

Men
Yes
19%
No
75%

Women
Yes
14%
No
80%

Age 18-29
Yes
14%
No
83%

30-44
Yes
10%
No
86%

45-64
Yes
25%
No
70%

65 and over
Yes
15%
No
73%

Republicans
Yes
25%
No
70%

Democrats
Yes
12%
No
85%

Independents
Yes
14%
No
78%

Liberals
Yes
11%
No
85%

Moderates
Yes
13%
No
82%

Conservatives
Yes
24%
No
69%

Bush voters
Yes
21%
No
73%

Kerry voters
Yes
12%
No
86%

Protestants
Yes
17%
No
77%

Catholics
Yes
21%
No
72%

White evangelicals
Yes
24%
No
69%

Attend Church every week
Yes
22%
No
70%

Attend Church almost every week
Yes
20%
No
76%

Attend Church less often
Yes
14%
No
82%

Never attend Church
Yes
7%
No
85%

This poll was conducted among a nationwide random sample of 885 adults interviewed by telephone November 18-21, 2004. There were 795 registered voters. The error due to sampling could be plus or minus three percentage points for results based on all adults and all registered voters. For detailed information on how CBS News conducts public opinion surveys, click here.

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