The Arizona Legislature formally acknowledged the harmful effect of pornography on Arizona children and families by passing a resolution denouncing pornography as a public health crisis.
State Senators passed HCR 2009 on Monday by a vote of 16-13-1. The resolution recognizes the “broad spectrum of individual and public health impacts” that make pornography a public health crisis. The House passed the resolution in February by a vote of 32-28.
Rep. Michelle Udall (R-Mesa) was the primary sponsor of the bill, which was introduced in the house on February 5, 2019.
Center for AZ Policy President, Cathi Herrod, applauded the passage of the resolution on her Twitter feed:
Thanks to Representative @michudall @azfamcouncil and #azleg for recognizing pornography for the health crisis it is. HCR 2009 acknowledges the harmful effects pornography has on AZ children and families – resolves to prevent exposure and addiction.
— Center for AZ Policy (@azpolicy) May 6, 2019
Full text of the resolution:
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2009
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
denouncing pornography as a public health crisis.
Whereas, pornography is a crisis leading to a broad spectrum of individual and public health impacts; and
Whereas, pornography perpetuates a sexually toxic environment that damages all areas of our society; and
Whereas, potential detrimental effects on pornography users include toxic sexual behaviors, emotional, mental and medical illnesses and difficulty forming or maintaining intimate relationships; and
Whereas, recent research indicates that pornography is potentially biologically addictive and requires increasingly shocking material for the addiction to be satisfied. This has led to increasing themes of risky sexual behaviors, extreme degradation, violence and child pornography; and
Whereas, pornography is directly harming our nation’s youth by contributing to the hyper-sexualization of teens and even children; and
Whereas, due to the advances in technology and the universal availability of the internet, children are being exposed to pornography at an alarming rate, leading to low self-esteem, eating disorders and an increase in problematic sexual activity at ever-younger ages; and
Whereas, exposure to pornography often serves as sex education for children and shapes their sexual templates, teaching them that women are commodities for the viewer’s use; and
Whereas, pornography normalizes violence and the abuse of women and children by treating them as objects, increasing the demand for sex trafficking, prostitution and child pornography; and
Whereas, the use of pornography has an adverse effect on the family as it is correlated with decreased desire in young men to marry, dissatisfaction in marriage and infidelity; and
Whereas, the societal damage of pornography is beyond the capability of the individual to address alone; and
Whereas, to counteract these detrimental effects, this state and the nation must systemically prevent exposure and addiction to pornography, educate individuals and families about its harms and develop pornography recovery programs.
Therefore
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:
That the Members of the Legislature denounce pornography as a public health crisis.
