Hi Fighters! My name is Jerome Alexander from Trinidad and Tobago, and this my story as an ambassador for Fight the New Drug.
I have been following FTND for just over 2 years now, and I have really been impressed with their mission to raise the awareness of the harmful effects of pornography and help inspire those struggling to ditch porn for good.
Back in 2016, I had the great opportunity to speak at a national symposium on the effects of porn, held in my home country Trinidad. There was where I had the pleasure of meeting Clay Olsen, Co-Founder and President of Fight the New Drug, for the first time. The few moments we spoke, I was so impacted by what we discussed that I decided then and there I was going to share this message all across my country after Clay had left.
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This decision was one that lead me to partner up with three dynamic and passionate individuals—Latisha Lazarus, Leif Johnson, and Tricia Dukhie—all determined to spread the message that porn is harmful and its effects are devastating. The journey thus far has been a bittersweet one with its own unique problems and challenges, but it’s been incredible to take a stand and make a difference in our country!
We all agreed that one of the biggest challenges we are facing in our culture, in particular, is our biggest tourist attraction: Carnival. Held annually for two days, this portion of our culture mirrors that largely allowed by porn culture—the crazy celebrations and costumes often pave the way for sexual objectification to be widely acceptable. These days, the only difference is it’s done publicly under the disguise as entertainment and culture.
Our society has grown numb to its effects as, oftentimes, audiences argue that this annually celebrated tradition isn’t contributing to the hyper-sexualized behavior seen taking place on our streets for two days. Continued research here in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as campaigns to promote the harms of consuming porn, has been nonexistent as many companies and conglomerates refuse or rejected getting involved because the topic is such a taboo one.
Despite all of this, we are motivated to continue this journey when youth and parents have contacted us and share how much our message has impacted their lives or the lives of their son or daughter who has been struggling and felt hopeless, now they know there is hope and they’re not alone in this struggle.
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It gives us so much joy to know we can impart to others that there is HOPE!
For all the Fighters out there,where ever you may be, whatever part of the world you serve this great cause of ours, I strongly encourage you guys to keep fighting because there is that one boy or girl, man or woman, who may have all but given up in this fight that needs to hear that porn is just not cool and it’s not healthy! And they need to know that there is help, and you can change someone’s life by sharing the message we share at FTND.
So Fighters, keep on fighting!
Jerome
Your Support Matters Now More Than Ever
Most kids today are exposed to porn by the age of 12. By the time they’re teenagers, 75% of boys and 70% of girls have already viewed itRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy —often before they’ve had a single healthy conversation about it.
Even more concerning: over half of boys and nearly 40% of girls believe porn is a realistic depiction of sexMartellozzo, E., Monaghan, A., Adler, J. R., Davidson, J., Leyva, R., & Horvath, M. A. H. (2016). “I wasn’t sure it was normal to watch it”: A quantitative and qualitative examination of the impact of online pornography on the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of children and young people. Middlesex University, NSPCC, & Office of the Children’s Commissioner.Copy . And among teens who have seen porn, more than 79% of teens use it to learn how to have sexRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy . That means millions of young people are getting sex ed from violent, degrading content, which becomes their baseline understanding of intimacy. Out of the most popular porn, 33%-88% of videos contain physical aggression and nonconsensual violence-related themesFritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A descriptive analysis of the types, targets, and relative frequency of aggression in mainstream pornography. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(8), 3041-3053. doi:10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0Copy Bridges et al., 2010, “Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis,” Violence Against Women.Copy .
From increasing rates of loneliness, depression, and self-doubt, to distorted views of sex, reduced relationship satisfaction, and riskier sexual behavior among teens, porn is impacting individuals, relationships, and society worldwideFight the New Drug. (2024, May). Get the Facts (Series of web articles). Fight the New Drug.Copy .
This is why Fight the New Drug exists—but we can’t do it without you.
Your donation directly fuels the creation of new educational resources, including our awareness-raising videos, podcasts, research-driven articles, engaging school presentations, and digital tools that reach youth where they are: online and in school. It equips individuals, parents, educators, and youth with trustworthy resources to start the conversation.
Will you join us? We’re grateful for whatever you can give—but a recurring donation makes the biggest difference. Every dollar directly supports our vital work, and every individual we reach decreases sexual exploitation. Let’s fight for real love: