Utah: Alleging exposure and addiction to pornography to be the reasons behind hypersexualisation of teens, prostitution and cheating spouses, the state of Utah has declared pornography to be public health issue. The measure calls for education and policy changes that to stop exposure to pornography.

Signing the resolution on Tuesday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert said, “We realize this is a bold assertion and there are some out there who will disagree with us, we’re here to say it is, in fact, the full-fledged truth.

Republican Senator Todd Weiler who sponsored the resolution, called pornography an epidemic that is harming the citizens of Utah and the nation. Blaming pornography for perpetuating a sexually toxic environment, the senator linked it to lessening desire in young men to marry dissatisfaction in marriage, and infidelity.

Supporters of the resolution backed it passage by the state and compared the dangers of pornography to that of smoking during the 1950s.

“Pornography today is pervasive and popular, similar to smoking in the 1950s, but as the harms become apparent, both the general public and elected officials will demand that a multi-disciplinary public health approach be implemented across the country to address it,” said Dawn Hawkins, executive director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation in a statement.