"This is a fight I believe that we can win — it’s certainly a fight we ought to have. Certainly the intent here is to raise awareness and understanding about the addictive nature of pornography and the harmful effects that it has on individuals and families and society."
That’s Utah Gov. Gary Herbert talking about the public health crisis plaguing his state. Yes, pornography has been declared a public health crisis in Utah.
The governor signed a resolution Tuesday after it passed unanimously through the state legislature.
The resolution calls for "education, prevention, research, and policy change at the community and societal level" and aims to end the "sexually toxic environment" that porn perpetuates.
According to the governor, one way that education will happen is through school assemblies. In his speech Tuesday, Gov. Herbert likened porn to drugs and alcohol — topics which many public schools already cover.
For the resolution's sponsor, it aims to protect Utah's youth wherever they are.
"We ought to take some protections so kids can’t take a wireless device into a McDonald’s or Starbucks or a library and get porn on a tablet," Sen. Todd Weiler said.
The resolution is nonbinding and nonpunishing, so technically Utah residents can keep visiting their favorite porn sites as freely as ever.
This video includes images from Facebook / Governor Gary Herbert and clips from KSL-TV and KTVX.
