On Tuesday, the state of Utah declared pornography to be a public health emergency to the point of crisis. The governor of Utah, Gary Herbert (R), signed off on two legislative proposals that have been created to combat what he called the “sexually toxic environment” that he sees resulting in the unchecked presence of porn.
“Pornography is a public health crisis,” Herbert declared. “Today I signed two bills that will bring its dangers to light.”
In the heavily Mormon Christian state, few were surprised by the action of both Utah’s legislature or its governor. The legislation, S.C.R. 9, cites that pornography is “a public health hazard leading to a broad spectrum of individual and public health impacts and societal harms.”
Utah becomes the first American state to make such a public declaration with regard to porn. All the legislation has been designed to do is to bring to light the inherent dangers that they believe pornography brings with it. The declaration further stated that porn “equates violence toward women and children with sex, and pain with pleasure which increases the demands for sex trafficking, prostitution, child sexual abuse images and child pornography.”
Governor Gary Herbert of Utah
The governor and the Utah legislature seem to be among the first to actually recognize pornography as an addition in the same way that drugs, alcohol, and gambling are addictions.
“We also want our young people to know,” said Herbert, “that there’s a particularly psychological and physiological detriment that comes from addiction to pornography.”
Mike Stabile, director of communications for the Free Speech Coalition said, “We should live in a society where sexuality is spoken about openly, and discussed in nuanced and educated ways, and not stigmatized. We should all work together to prevent non-adults from accessing adult material.”
The legislation requires that computer technicians are to be compelled to report any child pornography found on any computers that they are working on. If the technician finds some and does not report it to law enforcement, they will be arrested and charged with a Class B misdemeanor.
In 2009, the Harvard Business School did a research study regarding the effects of porn. The research discovered that the citizens of Utah are the largest buyers, per capita, of online pornography in the entire United States.
PHOTO SOURCES: The Associated Press