The French government yesterday issued a decree stating that French minors can now obtain emergency contraception from a pharmacy at no charge and without requiring a doctor's prescription or authorization from a parent, the AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, French Health Minister Bernard Kouchner and three other ministers wrote in the decree, which was published in the Official Journal of France, that girls under the age of 18 may receive complimentary EC without a prescription or parental approval, although pharmacists dispensing the drugs are required to "speak briefly with the young women" to ensure that the girls know how to use the medication. The decree also said that pharmacists should provide advice to young women seeking EC about other forms of birth control and recommend that they visit a physician regularly (AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/11). France already allows emergency contraception to be distributed by nurses in junior and senior high schools. EC can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse (AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune, 1/11).