At Fight the New Drug (FTND), our goal has always been to provide young people and communities with science-based education on the harmful effects of pornography and sexual exploitation. We do this through creating compelling educational content, engaging school presentations, global awareness campaigns, and a deeply committed online community.
But due to the current economic climate, our ability to sustain this vital mission is under real threat.
The reality is that the nonprofit world is experiencing a quiet but devastating crisis. Economic strain, federal reductions, donor fatigue, inflation, and growing competition for charitable giving have created a perfect storm that’s forcing many nonprofits to scale back or shut down altogether.
Fight the New Drug isn’t immune to these pressures.
We are facing these real financial challenges. Without the support from Fighters like you, the reach and impact of our message could shrink when it’s needed most.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
Every day, millions of people—especially young people—are exposed to a distorted version of intimacy through porn. What used to be considered “adult-only” content is now just a few taps away from a child’s screen. The average age of first exposure is now 12 years old, but in many cases, it’s even earlier.
The consequences are far-reaching.
- Nearly all teens and adults are watching porn.
- 73% of teenagers say they have seen pornography by age 17, with the average age of first exposure just 12 years old. Robb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy
- Among adults, 91.5% of men and 60.2% of women consumed porn in the past month. Solano, I., Eaton, N. R., & O'Leary, K. D. (2020). Pornography Consumption, Modality and Function in a Large Internet Sample. Journal of sex research, 57(1), 92–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2018.1532488Copy
- Pornography contributes to sex trafficking and sexual violence.
- Pornography is the second-most common form of sex trafficking in cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Polaris. (2022). Analysis of 2021 data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Retrieved from https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Polaris-Analysis-of-2021-Data-from-the-National-Human-Trafficking-Hotline.pdfCopy
- A meta‑analysis of 22 studies across seven countries confirmed that porn consumption is significantly linked to both verbal and physical sexual aggression, with violent content increasing the association. Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., & Kraus, A. (2016). A meta-analysis of pornography consumption and actual acts of sexual aggression in general population studies. Journal of Communication, 66(1), 183–205. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12201Copy
- Nearly 47% of users admitted they gradually escalated to viewing content they initially found “uninteresting or disturbing.” Dwulit, Aleksandra Diana, and Piotr Rzymski. “Prevalence, Patterns and Self-Perceived Effects of Pornography Consumption in Polish University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 16,10 1861. 27 May. 2019, doi:10.3390/ijerph16101861Copy
- Pornography damages mental health and relationships.
- Porn is strongly linked to anxiety, loneliness, depression, lower sexual satisfaction, and increased body-image issues among both men and women. Brown, C. C., Durtschi, J. A., Carroll, J. S., & Willoughby, B. J. (2017). Understanding and predicting classes of college students who use pornography. Computers in Human Behavior, 66, 114-121. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.09.008Copy Butler, M. H., Pereyra, S. A., Draper, T. W., Leonhardt, N. D., & Skinner, K. B. (2018). Pornography Use and Loneliness: A Bidirectional Recursive Model and Pilot Investigation. Journal of sex & marital therapy, 44(2), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2017.1321601Copy Levin, M. E., Lillis, J., & Hayes, S. C. (2012). When is online pornography viewing problematic among college males? Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance. 19(3), 168-180. doi:10.1080/10720162.2012.657150Copy
- Sexual dissatisfaction and relationship strain are also strongly tied to porn use. Studies indicate that frequent consumers report lower levels of satisfaction with their sex lives and diminished emotional connection with their partners. Szymanski, D. M., & Stewart-Richardson, D. N. (2014). Psychological, Relational, and Sexual Correlates of Pornography Use on Young Adult Heterosexual Men in Romantic Relationships. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 22(1), 64–82. https://doi.org/10.3149/jms.2201.64Copy
- A landmark longitudinal study using General Social Survey data found that married individuals who began consuming pornography were roughly 2X as likely to get divorced compared to those who did not. Perry, Samuel L., and Cyrus Schleifer. “Beginning Pornography Use Associated with Increase in Probability of Divorce.” American Sociological Association, 26 July 2017, https://www.asanet.org/beginning-pornography-use-associated-increase-probability-divorce/.Copy
These sobering research studies make one thing undeniable: pornography’s harms are not occasional—they’re systemic.
But there’s hope. Fight the New Drug empowers people with the facts, sparking awareness and creating change.
We’ve seen firsthand how pornography use contributes to a cycle of emotional numbing, broken relationships, and unrealistic expectations about sex and intimacy. We’ve documented how it fuels demand in the commercial sex industry. And we’ve heard from thousands of Fighters whose lives have been changed—or nearly destroyed—by porn.
Our team exists to help rewrite those stories.
Through online resources, presentations, podcast episodes, documentaries, and more, we help individuals understand what they’re up against and why there’s hope. Our digital resources have reached millions worldwide. But none of it happens without consistent support.
What’s at Stake
Fight the New Drug doesn’t rely on big corporate dollars to exist. We are people-powered—and proudly so. But that also means that when economic uncertainty hits or giving trends shift, we feel the impact. As government grants have been reduced, nonprofits nation wide are facing tough decisions, including keeping their doors open.
Right now, we are doing more, educating more, with less than ever before. We are streamlining operations, tightening budgets, and stretching every resource to continue our mission. But there’s only so far we can go without reducing our reach.
And in a time where porn is being marketed as “empowerment” and the voices warning about its harm are being drowned out, we need to be louder, not quieter.
Scaling back isn’t just an operational decision—it would mean fewer students reached with live presentations, fewer survivor stories amplified, and fewer research-based resources for parents, educators, and teens.
The ripple effect is real. And the stakes are too high to ignore.
Why Your Support Matters
We’re not here to sell shame or silence. We’re here to spark conversations rooted in truth and compassion. To educate with science and empathy. To show that love is real, connection matters, and there is always a path forward.
If you’ve ever felt empowered by something you read on our site, or shared one of our resources with a loved one, or watched someone in your life start to heal from the effects of porn—we’re asking you to invest in that momentum.
This isn’t about charity. It’s about changing culture.
Every one-time gift and every monthly donation helps us continue to reach people around the world with the facts about pornography’s harms—and the hope for healing.
Your donation directly funds:
- School presentations that educate thousands of students every year.
- Online resources viewed by millions in over 200 countries.
- Survivor stories that break stigma and offer solidarity.
- Cutting-edge awareness campaigns grounded in science, facts, and personal accounts.
Be Part of the Movement
There’s no sugarcoating it: this is a hard moment. But it’s also a defining one. We believe this movement is worth fighting for. And we believe the Fighters who stand with us will carry it forward.
👉 Click here to make a donation to Fight the New Drug.
Let’s stand together against the objectification of human beings. Let’s build a culture that values real love, healthy intimacy, and respect. Let’s be louder than the lies.
Thank you for making a difference in the lives of millions by fighting with us.
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:
