newjerseynewsroom.com

BY MICHAEL HAYNE

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

COMMENTARY

There’s a new drug out there and, alas, it has nothing to do with Huey Lewis and the News (sorry Huey Lewis and the News fans). It’s a drug that can’t be ingested, smoked, or shot up. This drug is pornography, and it’s just as profitable–and apparently dangerous–as cocaine. Or so says a new Salt Lake City-based non-profit group that calls itself “Fight the New Drug.”

The group that came into existence in 2010, according to its website, purports that pornography has very dangerous consequences on our youth (mostly our youths’ socks) and its aim is to educate our nation’s youth on the deleterious effects of constant porn use. Now, in this day in age where crazy, right-wing Christian Taleban, including our Republican presidential candidates, are railing against pornography like a militant Ned Flanders, it’s almost automatic for the uninitiated to think of this anti-pornography group as yet another Republican fringe group.

However, Fight the New Drug purports to have no political and/or religious motivations and ties, according to its website.

Fight the New Drug takes a non-legislative, non-judgmental approach. We recognize an individual’s right to view and produce pornography, however, once they are educated on the harmful effects of pornography we believe they will choose to avoid it. We only wish to educate about the negative effects of pornography on individuals, families, and businesses. In our research, we’ve found that many people, especially Americans, automaticaly assume that the anti-pornography movement is at odds with First Amendment freedoms. Under that perception, people are asked to weigh the importance of free speech against the damaging effects of pornography.

Fight the New Drug rejects this perception and we will position ourselves as anti-porn, pro-free speech.

Fight the New Drug’s message is based on science and facts. In a sense, science is an international currency. We explain why porn is harmful by educating people about the negative psychological and physical reactions it causes. We do not affiliate ourselves with any religious groups or political agendas. (Source: Fight The New Drug)

And just in case you’re still not convinced that this group isn’t just a puffed up Abstinence Only copycat, no video produced Bristol Palin. In fact, one of it’s more recent videos looks no different from any ad one would find on MTV. Better yet, it doesn’t look like fodder for that god awful train wreck of a show on TLC known as “Strange Addictions.” Quite honestly, it appears to just be a committed group of people who happen to legitimately want to aid and assist teens in their pron addiction. There really doesn’t appear to be any indication that it’s a front group doing the bidding of the religious wackos.

According to the website, “this movement is the result of many years spent developing ideas and researching the effects of pornography. Taking a fresh approach to the issue, we’re a non-profit organization dedicated to help the young generation educate itself with the facts on pornography. We hope you will join us in this fight.”

It probably should be noted, however, that mental health professionals have no standard criteria that could diagnose porn as an addiction. In fact, according to a pscyhologytoday.com, internet porn addiction is really no different than a video game addiction. So it’s probably unlikely that World of Warcraft gets you hot and drains your bank account. You be the judge.

Michael Hayne is a comedian/VO artist/Columnist extraordinaire. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

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