Citing research linking pornography to "mental and physical illnesses", Republican Representative Ross Spano led 17 others in the near-unanimous adoption of the resolution.
The resolution claimed pornography caused low self-esteem, eating disorders, normalizing violence and abuse of women and children, marital problems, and other negative health effects. Porn was "potentially biologically addictive, resulting in the user consuming increasingly more shocking material to satisfy the addiction."
It called for Florida to protect its citizenry from the public health risk by adopting "education, prevention, research and policy change."
At first Spano wanted to label pornography as a "state public health crisis" on the same level as the ongoing opioid epidemic in Florida. The final resolution settled for calling porn a "risk". (Related: Deaths from synthetic opioids have risen from 3,000 to over 20,000 in just three years – and the carnage is expected to continue.)
According to the supporters of the resolution, the inexorable advance of technology and increasing accessibility to modern day media made pornography a grave danger.
"Children are exposed to pornography at an alarming rate," they said about the "hypersexualization" of the youth.
Spano is in the running for the post of state attorney general. In an interview with Florida news station WFSU, he explained that fatherly concern was one of the reasons he fought against pornography.
According to Spano, his own son first saw pornography when he was "probably ten". When pressed how he saw it, the boy said "an older kid in the neighborhood" showed it to him.
He also cited a research finding where 27 percent of young adults admitted to watching porn before they hit puberty.
Does porn promote mental illness?
Psychologists and psychiatrists are split on this matter. Some want the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to identify pornography as a mental illness.
Other experts are like New York psychologist Dr. Ari Tuckman. "Porn can be easy to blame as the cause, but it's really part of the problem when it comes to relationships," he explained to the Daily Mail.
He cited research on how watching porn at a young age seems to lead to early sex. Other small studies note that men who watched porn as boys treated women differently than those who didn't.
But Dr. Tuckman also mentioned statistics from Pornhub that showed more women were watching porn. He attributed this to women seeking more sexual empowerment and freedom.
The state of pornography in Florida
Florida has a historical relationship with the pornographic industry. And like any relationship, they have economic ups and criminal downs. Fort Lauderdale is the annual host of the Exxxotica Porn Convention. And a 2012 list of the top 10 cities that consume porn featured Miami and Orlando.
Florida is also known for its inept mishandling of child pornography cases.
Most experts believe that research on pornography is inconclusive at best and hobbled by poor methodology.
Democrat Dr. Cary Pigman opposed the resolution. He is the only committee member who is a medical professional.
According to him, it doesn't matter if porn is good or bad for mental and physical health. There are bigger sexual health issues in Florida to worry about.
"I keep thinking about the other things that are public health hazards which involve a far larger number of people," he told local news station WFSU.
According to Dr. Pigman, porn isn't the only thing on the rise in Florida. The last three years witnessed an eight percent increase of HIV and STD transmission. And a new case of the Zika virus appeared last year.
"I'm not sure that we need to spend legislative time enunciating a particular complaint when we have others that are far more pressing," worried Dr. Pigman.
For stories that are related to mental conditions and issues, visit Mind.news today.
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