The Downward Spiral to Drive-In Prostitution: Is America Next?

Drive-ins aren’t just for fast food and movies anymore—if you’re in Europe, that is.

With Switzerland’s announcement that it spent a whopping $2 million on a plan to provide “drive-in prostitution,” complete with “sex boxes,” it makes you wonder how their priorities and social norms became so distorted. Certainly the easy availability of pornography is a contributing factor.

Hardcore pornography is commonplace in European countries, available on TV networks and at magazine stands in public areas. “Enlightened Europeans” claim the widespread acceptance of this sexually exploitive material is without effect in society. Or is it? 

Studies indicate there is a high correlation between the consumption of porn and the use of prostituted women and sexually trafficked women and children. Research on the topic can be found at pornharmsresearch.com.

Switzerland, along with other countries like the Netherlands and Germany, legalized prostitution years ago and is now taking further steps to promote prostitution. In Switzerland, they are providing “sex boxes,” similar to rest stops at national parks in the U.S. This is all for the convenience of the “johns,” who are in a hurry and who just drive up for quick sex. They say this is for the health and safety of those prostituted, but this is not a sign of a healthy society. It will eventually lead where all efforts to promote prostitution lead—to more health problems, more trafficked victims and further degradation of society.

In the United States, we have laws that ban hard-core pornography and prostitution. We have seen how trafficking, violence against women, the sexualization of children and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases have increased because we ignore these laws. Unless we take strong steps to stop this downward spiral and curb the spread of pornography and prostitution, can sex boxes be far behind in America? We think not and continue to demand that existing laws prohibiting the distribution of hard-core pornography, sex trafficking and prostitution be vigorously enforced.

Dawn Hawkins is executive director of Morality in Media.