RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia state lawmaker wants to have pornography declared a public health hazard, calling it a moral scourge that leads to infidelity, the “hypersexualization of teenagers” and the objectification of women.
The Washington Post reports that Del. Robert G. Marshall of Prince William County has proposed a resolution stating that pornography leads to many social problems and that the General Assembly needs to address it. The legislature’s annual session convenes Jan. 11.
The resolution does not call for a ban but rather urges lawmakers to recognize the need for education and research to address what Marshall called an epidemic.
He says such a declaration could help pave the way for future limits, similar to how a 1964 federal government report linking cigarettes to disease spurred future restrictions.
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