Restrictive abortion laws sharply reduced legal procedures without reducing abortions.

Evidence

In the early 1960s, the laws in most states permitted abortion only in limited circumstances, such as to save the life of the mother. These laws, most of which dated from the late nineteenth century, effectively restricted legal abortions—only 8,000 were performed nationwide in 1966. However, they did not eliminate abortions: that same year an estimated 1 million illegal abortions were performed. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 3081

Categorization

• CANDY: The 8,000 legal versus 1 million illegal abortions contrast is a striking, quotable number pair.