Religion At The Drugstore
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:
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.