The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has indefinitely delayed making a decision on whether the emergency contraceptive "Plan B" should be sold over the counter, prompting the resignation of Susan Wood, Director of Women's Health at the agency. In this hour, we'll talk with two former FDA Advisory Committee members about the debate over "Plan B." Are there legitimate safety concerns in making the drug available over the counter, or has ideology trumped science at the agency, as some critics have claimed?

Plus, environmental writer Mike Tidwell on the natural history of New Orleans and its environs. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:

Alastair J.J. Wood
Professor, Medicine and Pharmacology
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, Tennessee 

Vivian Lewis
Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, New York

W. David Hager
Former Member, FDA Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee
Professor and Consultant on Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Director, University of Kentucky Affiliated Residency Training Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Central Baptist Hospital
Practicing Obstetrician / Gynecologist
Women's Care Center
Lexington, Kentucky

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Mike Tidwell
Author, "Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast" (Pantheon, 2003)
Washington D.C.

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast,"  by Mike Tidwell. Pantheon, 2003.

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

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This segment produced by Annette Heist