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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 10 May 2019

A growing number of states

call porn a public health crisis

PHOENIX (AP) — More a similar resolution in 15 oth- kids, but links to other of-
than a dozen states have er states. ten-cited issues like human
moved to declare pornog- "It is an epidemic in our trafficking are tenuous at
raphy a public health crisis, society, and this makes a best, said Emily Rothman,
raising concerns among statement that we have a a community health sci-
some experts who say the problem," said Arizona Sen. ences professor at Boston
label goes too far and car- Sylvia Allen, a Republican University.
ries its own risks. who blamed pornography The resolutions risk creating
The Arizona Senate ap- for contributing to violence a stigma for marginalized
proved a resolution this against women, sexual ac- groups like LGBTQ people
week calling for a systemic tivity among teens and un- and miss a key piece of the
effort to prevent exposure intended pregnancies. puzzle by leaving out calls
In this April 19, 2016, file photo, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert looks to porn that's increasingly Linking those social issues to for more robust sex educa-
up during a ceremonial signing of a state resolution declaring accessible to younger kids pornography is "compete tion for teenagers, she said.
pornography a public health crisis, at the Utah State Capitol, in online. At least one legisla- fear-mongering," said Mark And porn isn't like a deadly
Salt Lake City.
Associated Press tive chamber has adopted Kernes, a senior editor at virus, she said.
the trade publication Adult "If you stub your toe, that
Video News media net- might be something you
work. Pornography is harm- can't solve yourself, but
less entertainment meant that doesn't make it a pub-
for adults, he said. "We're lic health issue," Rothman
not really a public-health said.
anything," Kernes said. Several Arizona Democrats
The Arizona resolution that said the state has more im-
passed Monday doesn't portant health threats to
ban pornography or cre- confront, such as measles,
ate any other legal chang- opioids, homelessness and
es, but it could signal future suicide.
action. Similar declarations Plus, pornography can be
have been passed in GOP- part of a healthy sex life for
controlled states ranging adults, said Albuquerque-
from Tennessee to Mon- based sex therapist David
tana and been adopted in Ley, who sees the resolu-
the Republican Party's na- tions as a backlash against
tional platform. changing attitudes about
Many of the resolutions are sexuality.
based on a model written "It's just virtue signaling,
by the National Center on there's literally no effect,"
Sexual Exploitation, an anti- he said.
porn group that cites re- But the legislation could
search linking it to a range pave the way for future
of problems and argues steps, like keeping publicly
that it's become too ubiqui- funded internet at places
tous for individuals to com- like schools and libraries
bat alone. from being used to access
But others say the public- porn, said Haley Halverson
crisis label is a misguided with the National Center on
approach. Sexual Exploitation, which
Research has raised ques- is working on new model
tions about the effect of legislation for states taking
explicit material on young those next steps.q