PRESS RELEASE – On National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost reflected on the progress made by his office in 2024 to fight the scourge throughout the state.
“Awareness is critical in educating the public that human trafficking happens anywhere and everywhere,” Yost said. “We’ve been focusing on demand reduction because without a buyer there is no human trafficking.”
Each year on Jan. 11, Yost’s office joins in solidary with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and many others to mark National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
The observance is also known as Wear Blue Day, a chance for advocates in the fight against human trafficking to outwardly express that support by photographing themselves and others wearing blue and sharing those photos on social media (with the hashtag #WearBlueDay).
For Yost’s Human Trafficking Initiative (HTI), the day also provides an opportunity to take stock of the progress made the previous year and anticipate future efforts.
Among other notable achievements in 2024, the HTI team launched Ohio’s first statewide hotline: 844-END-OHHT (844-363-6448).
The dedicated line accepts tips about suspected human trafficking, and those tips are then funneled directly to law enforcement and/or others with experience in handling such cases.
The attorney general announced the hotline on Aug. 7 during the fifth annual Human Trafficking Summit, one of many training and educational initiatives led by his HTI team.
Also in 2024, the HTI team:
-Conducted more than 45 training sessions, tailored to a variety of audiences, throughout Ohio.
-Developed specialized training materials for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities focusing on healthy relationships, personal safety, and resources to prevent exploitation.
-Contributed to comprehensive educational guides aimed at increasing community awareness of human trafficking among both adults and youths.
-Successfully advocated for the passage of Senate Bill 214, which provides enhanced opportunities for Ohio survivors of human trafficking with criminal records to rebuild their lives and move forward.
“The fight is far from over,” Yost said. “But we’re making meaningful strides every day.”