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Sean D. Reyes
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Attorney General Reyes Partners with NBWA, Launches Campaign to Combat Human Trafficking

July 30, 2020

National Association of Attorneys General Human Trafficking Committee Co-Chair Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes, committee member Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, and the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) announced a new initiative to help end human trafficking in the United States. Working alongside the attorneys general, NBWA will offer awareness training to more than 140,000 beer distribution employees in the U.S. to help them recognize and report signs of human trafficking.

“Human trafficking is an urgent human rights issue,” said Attorney General Reyes. “Through this new partnership, beer distributors can be an extra set of eyes and ears on the ground by being knowledgeable and aware of the signs of human trafficking. I am grateful for the role beer distributors play in communities across the country and for being a part of this critical fight. Together, I know that we can end human trafficking and save lives.”  

Through NBWA’s human trafficking initiative, beer distributors will provide awareness training sessions to employees to recognize possible signs of exploitation, including common red flags and behaviors associated with human trafficking. Distributors will also be equipped with contact information to alert authorities if they spot suspicious behaviors.  

“America’s beer distributors are in every community across the country,” said Craig Purser, NBWA president and CEO. “These men and women not only live and serve in the communities where they work, but they visit 640,000 licensed retail locations from coast to coast. Distributors are uniquely positioned to help fight this heinous crime given their level of access in locations often unseen by the public. NBWA and our members are proud to work alongside Attorneys General Healey and Reyes to identify criminal traffickers and, ultimately, we hope to help save lives.”  

Human trafficking continues to be a major issue in the United States. In fact, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually exploited before the age of 18, and human trafficking is one of the most horrific ways children are sexually exploited. Annually, The International Labour Organization found that human trafficking is a $150 billion illegal industry, and $99 billion comes specifically from sex trafficking.  

“The sad truth is human trafficking is a fast-growing criminal industry, and it happens in every community across the country,” said Attorney General Healey. “Businesses can play a critical role in helping the U.S. fight and end this crime. As a member of the NAAG Human Trafficking Committee, we are always looking for new partnerships and collaborations that help us to eliminate exploitation while protecting victims and survivors. I am thrilled to see NBWA stepping up to the challenge, and I look forward to combatting human trafficking together.”

To help distributors understand human trafficking, identify the signs and respond if they suspect exploitation is taking place, NBWA partnered with Healey, Reyes and Camila Zolfaghari, executive director of Street Grace and a former human trafficking prosecutor, to produce an awareness training video

For more information visit www.nbwa.org.