11 Aug, 2012 @ 10:50
1 min read

Spain prepares to ban sex ads from newspapers

ban on sex ads in newspapers

SLEAZY newspaper sex ads are soon to become a thing of the past.

The government has agreed to ban the adverts from the new year, after the industry failed to self-regulate.

Equality Commission spokeswoman Lourdes Ciuro said: “These ads are for prostitution, which incorporates many problems including trafficking and the exploitation of women.”

It will be a huge blow to the vast majority of the Olive Press’ rivals on the Costa del Sol who make thousands of euros each month from sex-related adverts.

Indeed, the industry is estimated to net the media in Spain around €40 million a year.

In recent issues of both Sur in English and Euro Weekly News there are hundreds of adverts in their ‘Adult relaxation’ and ‘XXX Relaxation’ sections. Many have photos and include overt references to prostitution

It is welcome news for those papers, including the Olive Press, which refuse to run sex ads.

“We are a family newspaper and it is unacceptable to put louche adverts with graphic pictures in front of children,” said publisher Jon Clarke.

17 Comments

  1. Great news. I hate it when I am forced to slowly read every one of these adverts in those papers and I feel traumatised at the turning of each page. It’s awful how these papers just jump into my hand without warning and I am completely unable to put them down. It will be a great improvement to see the adverts plastered all over telephone boxes and bus-stops and I will feel much happier and “holier-than-tho” thinking of these sex workers forced out of their homes and onto the streets where it’s so much safer. Of course I’m also looking forward to the day the government can decide what consenting adults can advertise on the internet as well and perhaps they can really help us out by banning any publications they don’t like the look of too.

  2. In Saudi Arabia they have this great invention called the burka. I have long wondered – “Why should my child be forced to see the exposed leg or face of a woman, leading them to temptation and sin?”

    Spain is making progress.

  3. Oh my god – an exposed face or leg? SHOCK HORROR! People who think like that are so out of touch and so out of time it’s unreal. Would you rather your child watch the violence and bloodshed all over the news than see the innocent flesh of another human being? Pathetic.

    Has anyone spared a thought for the girls who will lose their income as a result of this? At a time of recession is it right to remove 40 million euros a year from the media and the very lifeblood of many of the girls who sell themselves? I hope you self-proclaimed do-gooders will be able to explain to those girls parents that their daughters died of starvation in the name of your inability to cope with the very natural and normal human body.

  4. Fred – “Not allowing people to make their own decisions in what they read is nothing for the OP to boast about. It is censorship plain and simple.”

    The next think you know we’ll be telling people what they can and can’t put in their own bodies.

    …oh wait.

  5. These adverts have got “slightly” out of hand. Started with some text lines and now graphic images in the classified section. Some comments say that these women will be worst off if these adverts stop. The only people that will be worst off are the pimps and the papers that are so desperate for the advertising. Keep it for the top shelf!!! Stop making the pimps rich!! This will stop the illeagal traffic of young girls. Good on the olive press.

  6. Does anyone really believe that these young girls want to be apart of this. These adverts should stop. I have seen one coastal paper publish colour adverts of these poor girls.Barney is right. The men behind the scenes will suffer. I am sure the papers can think of advertising something else….maybe charity events.

  7. Andy…. Your comments made me angry. You said the girls parents will be upset if their daughter came out of prostitution….. really…. REALLY. What planet are you from. I am sure these parents would take them in and feed them dont you??

  8. O.P. is correct to take a stance on this , but perhaps with a wee bit less pomposity. There is room for this business obviously, if other publications wish to partake, then they should be allowed to do so. It isn’t for the state to censor this type of thing. We don’t see them rounding up the beauties at the roadside.

  9. Steven – “Does anyone really believe that these young girls want to be apart of this.”

    Many women do. Others are unfortunately exploited. The problem is that when a government attempts to ban this type of behavior it punishes everyone across the board. And it punishes the women more than it does the pimps.

    There are women on the street and women who have men come to them in a home or locale. The latter is obviously preferable for safety and health. If you make it so that it is less feasible for sex workers to have a safe environment they are just going to move into the streets. Some tech-savvy people might advertise online, but for a lot of these individuals the street is going to be the obvious option now.

    No one is going to say, “Oh, they took the paper away from us. Lets stop being prostitutes and pimps now.” It is like making it illegal for junkies to purchase clean needles. It doesn’t stop drug abuse – they just use dirty needles.

    But at least now no one will be offended by seeing pictures of butts. That is, of course, what is truly important in society.

  10. I know its the oldest profession but in the 21st century ???? I am a woman and I feel so humiliated – there are still women selling their body… I know there is a market for that. Yes, there are many “men” better to say “gentlemen” who pay for this service. Why? I thought men are proud but they are not pride enough to select where they put……… what is worse,they put to risk their partners….how many of partners suffer sexual diseases.
    Must say this profession doesnt need advertise!!!! “The gentleman” will find it, dont worry.

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