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OREM — The Orem woman who made headlines by purchasing almost $600 worth of T-shirts she thought were indecent says she is getting offers of support from around the country to help pay for the tab.
But Judy Cox said she's not taking any money and is instead directing people to donate to anti-pornography groups like Fight the New Drug, a non-profit organization that educates young people about the dangers of pornography.
FTND is growing in influence around Utah and the U.S. It recently held school assemblies in the St. George area but has also been active in other areas of Utah and around the country with its message.
"Porn is like a drug. It distorts meaning of healthy relationships and love," says its presentation. "We will fight this new drug, and we will not rest until the world knows that pornography is harmful."
A recent opinion piece in the St. George Spectrum discussed the chemical effects that pornography has on the brain and how pornography can be as addictive as drugs.
“We know more now about addiction than we’ve ever known,” FTND executive director Clay Olsen told the Spectrum.com. “Pornography triggers a chemical release that is the exact same process as with drugs. An addict is an addict. The brain responds in the same way.”
Olsen said teens are inundated with sexualized messages and materials that are coming to them, even when they are not seeking it out. FTND aims to help them understand the risks of watching pornography.
“We are trying to give them an opportunity to make an educated decision," Olsen told the Deseret News Sunday Edition in January.
Cox said she appreciates the generous outpouring of support. She's returning the shirts to PacSun and hopes the public outcry will keep them from restocking such images in store windows to protect children.
For more information on the FTND message and program, visit their website.
Contributing: Tracie Snowder
