National Beer Wholesalers Association launched the Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative on Jan.  11, 2022, and in that time the association, members and its partners mobilized to fight human trafficking by educating beer distribution employees on recognizing and reporting its signs. January is also National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and NBWA plans to renew focus on fighting this pervasive and horrific crime throughout the month.

Nearly 30,500 employees from more than 250 companies have completed the training since its launch in 2020.

Human trafficking continues to plague communities across the United States. In 2019 alone, the Polaris Project identified 22,326 victims and survivors of human trafficking, up 20 percent from the year prior. Additionally, human trafficking disproportionately targets vulnerable populations like women and children. Over half of the active criminal human trafficking cases in the U.S. involve children.