Every day, 28 people in the United States die in an alcohol-related vehicle crash that's one person every 51 minutes. Drunk driving fatalities have fallen by a third in the last three decades; however, the chance of being in an alcohol-impaired crash is still one in three over the course of a lifetime. These deaths and damages contribute to a cost of $52B per year.

Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely.

As alcohol levels rise in a person’s system, the negative effects on the central nervous system increase too. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach and small intestine. Then it passes into the bloodstream where it accumulates until it is metabolized by the liver. Alcohol level is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood. This is called Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC. At BAC of 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood, crash risk increases exponentially. Because of this risk, it’s illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with 0.08 BAC or higher. However, even a small amount of alcohol can affect driving ability. In 2014, 1,764 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes where BAC was less than 0.08 BAC.

BAC is measured with a breathalyzer, a device that measures the amount of alcohol in a driver’s breath, or by a blood test.

The Effects of Blood Alcohol Concentration

Responsible Behavior

BEING A RESPONSIBLE DRIVER IS SIMPLE IF YOU ARE DRINKING, PLAN NOT TO DRIVE. Take steps to prevent drunk driving:

Top 10 Reasons To Stop On Red:

“The girl who runs races… the animal lover… the one who does it all. “ She has been described in many different ways, but Officer Traci Sierra has more facets then just her giving lifestyle.  Traci was born in 1967 in the era of the lunar landing and the exploration of the galaxy. So who would blame her for wanting to be an astronaut? As a child she wanted to “get off this planet… and travel the cosmos.” It wasn’t till she probed further into the world of policing that she concluded “some [officers] were impressive, some were not impressive…” and she wanted to be “one of the impressive ones.” She waited until she was thirty to even apply, allowing herself time to gain maturity and experience before doing the toughest job she’s ever had. However don’t be fooled by her tiny demeanor, she was prepared for the challenge. Although this may be the toughest it isn’t the first tough job Traci’s had. Before becoming an officer she was a legal secretary, loaded trucks for UPS and was in the marine core for eight years. She gained the value of working and took it with her.

With all the work talk Traci needs some down time and escapes to her “secret  randevú” the fairly new, Painting with a Twist. It takes her mind to another place where she can “enjoy herself… be herself… and express herself.”  She has always been creative and has a closet bursting with paintings. But that isn’t the only collection she has. She recently became a connoisseur and over the past two years has created a very extensive wine collection. Amid her wide assortment are a few bottles that will never “breathe.” Her most prized among the sixty, is the signed Skywalker Vineyards bottle, even a “wookiee” knows not to open this bottle! When she’s not keeping an eye out for pristine wine, she’s spending time with her grandchildren. She is most thankful in life for them and we can see why, they’re pretty awesome. Besides just being utterly adorable, one is named after a Star Wars character and the other was born on 12/12/12. The force is strong with these two.

Traci enters the retirement drop December 2018, and she definitely doesn’t plan on escaping to a beach somewhere. She’s going to be 50 and is going back to school in September. The plan is to follow her aspirations and attend Vet Tech School.  The agenda for retirement is to open up a veterinary clinic, where she will continue her animal advocacy and make it affordable for pet owners. Pennsylvania will be the location, so sorry to those who were looking forward to heading to Traci’s Vet in the future. Most of her family is located up there, she has her heart set on owning a farm and bringing her 5 pups along with her. Milking the goats and playing with the bunnies are on her everyday checklist. After all they do say “life is better on the farm.” Over the years Traci has bestowed the animal community with many efforts. Those who know her know how diligently Traci works to make sure no pet is left behind. She has assisted and organized many adoption events with multiple organizations across South Florida.

Her giving lifestyle doesn’t end at animals but only begins there. Traci orchestrated a program with Nicholas Children’s hospital where once a month a few officers will do an art project with the young fighters. It allows the children time to escape their struggles and focus on something fun. But the program isn’t ample just yet; Traci plans on pursuing other departments to join in the future and to make it twice a month. As Traci attempts to leave a footprint behind she does the miles for smiles race and donates the profits to St. Jude. All of her efforts are not done to receive reciprocation but because giving is a part of whom she is. She works at Miami Beach Police Department for forty hours a week, ten hours a day and believes everyone needs a life outside of work. Her outside life is based off of the philosophy “what you do for yourself will last for one moment, what you do for everybody else is going to last a lifetime and it will impact the world that you leave behind.” She hopes that sometime after she is gone, people will remember the good things she did and at least one person will be inspired to continue doing good in this world. 

The Facts

Although slavery is commonly thought to be a thing of the past, human traffickers generate hundreds of billions of dollars in profits by trapping millions of people in horrific situations around the world, including here in the U.S. Traffickers use violence, threats, deception, debt bondage, and other manipulative tactics to force people to engage in commercial sex or to provide labor or services against their will. While more research is needed on the scope of human trafficking, below are a few key statistics:

• The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 20.9 million victims of human trafficking globally.
  • 68% of them are trapped in forced labor.
  • 26% of them are children.
  • 55% are women and girls.
• The International Labor Organization estimates that forced labor and human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide.
• The U.S. Department of Labor has identified 139 goods from 75 countries made by forced and child labor.
• In 2016, an estimated 1 out of 6 endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were likely child sex trafficking victims.
  • Of those, 86% were in the care of social services or foster care when they ran.
• There is no official estimate of the total number of human trafficking victims in the U.S. Polaris estimates that the total number of victims nationally reaches into the hundreds of thousands when estimates of both adults and minors and sex trafficking and labor trafficking are aggregated.

Statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline and Polaris BeFree Textline

• More than 31,600 total cases of human trafficking have been reported to the Hotline in the last eight years.
• The Hotline annually receives multiple reports of human trafficking cases in each of the 50 states and D.C. Read more Hotline statistics here. 
• The number of human trafficking cases that Polaris learns about in the U.S. increases every year. Review our 2016 statistics fact sheet here.
• 23% of texting conversations on the Polaris BeFree Textline were from survivors of human trafficking compared to 11% of phone calls on the Hotline. Read Polaris BeFree Textline statistics here.
• The Hotline receives an average of 100 calls per day. Read stories of survivors who called the hotline for help.

Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery that exists throughout the United States and globally.

Sex traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, and other forms of coercion to compel adults and children to engage in commercial sex acts against their will. Under U.S. federal law, any minor under the age of 18 years induced into commercial sex is a victim of sex trafficking—regardless of whether or not the trafficker used force, fraud, or coercion.

The situations that sex trafficking victims face vary dramatically. Many victims become romantically involved with someone who then forces or manipulates them into prostitution. Others are lured in with false promises of a job, such as modeling or dancing. Some are forced to sell sex by their parents or other family members. They may be involved in a trafficking situation for a few days or weeks, or may remain in the same trafficking situation for years.

Victims of sex trafficking can be U.S. citizens, foreign nationals, women, men, children, and LGBTQ individuals. Vulnerable populations are frequently targeted by traffickers, including runaway and homeless youth, as well as victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, war, or social discrimination.

Sex trafficking occurs in a range of venues including fake massage businesses, via online ads or escort services, in residential brothels, on the street or at truck stops, or at hotels and motels.

Key Statistics

• Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, operated by Polaris, has received reports of 22,191 sex trafficking cases inside the United States. Find more Hotline statistics here.
• In 2016, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimated that 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported to them were likely sex trafficking victims.
• Globally, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are 4.5 million people trapped in forced sexual exploitation globally.
• In a 2014 report, the Urban Institute estimated that the underground sex economy ranged from $39.9 million in Denver, Colorado, to $290 million in Atlanta, Georgia.

Labor Trafficking 

Labor trafficking is a form of modern slavery that exists throughout the United States and globally.

Labor traffickers – including recruiters, contractors, employers, and others – use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, or other forms of coercion to force people to work against their will in many different industries.

Labor traffickers often make false promises of a high-paying job or exciting education or travel opportunities to lure people into horrendous working conditions. Yet, victims find that the reality of their jobs proves to be far different than promised and must frequently work long hours for little to no pay. Their employers exert such physical or psychological control – including physical abuse, debt bondage, confiscation of passports or money – that the victim believes they have no other choice but to continue working for that employer.

U.S. citizens, foreign nationals, women, men, children, and LGBTQ individuals can be victims of labor trafficking. Vulnerable populations are frequently targeted by traffickers. Immigration status, recruitment debt, isolation, poverty, and a lack of strong labor protections are just some of the vulnerabilities that can lead to labor trafficking.

Labor trafficking occurs in numerous industries in the U.S. and globally. In the United States, common types of labor trafficking include people forced to work in homes as domestic servants, farmworkers coerced through violence as they harvest crops, or factory workers held in inhumane conditions. Labor trafficking has also been reported in door-to-door sales crews, restaurants, construction work, carnivals, and even health and beauty services.

Key Statistics

• Globally, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are 14.2 million people trapped in forced labor in industries including agriculture, construction, domestic work and manufacturing.
• The U.S. Department of Labor has identified 136 goods from 74 countries made by forced and child labor.
• Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, operated by Polaris, received reports of more than 5,400 labor trafficking cases inside the United States. Find more Hotline statistics here.
• In a 2014 study from the Urban Institute of 122 closed cases of labor trafficking, Hidden in Plain Sight, seventy-one percent of the labor trafficking victims in the study entered the United States on lawful visas. These victims paid an average of $6,150 in recruitment fees for jobs in the United States. 
• In a study from San Diego State University, 31% of undocumented, spanish-speaking migrant workers interviewed in San Diego County had experienced labor trafficking.

Recognize the Signs

Are you or someone you know being trafficked? Is human trafficking happening in your community? Recognizing potential red flags and knowing the indicators of human trafficking is a key step in identifying more victims and helping them find the assistance they need.

To request help or report suspected human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Or text HELP to: BeFree (233733). 

Common Work and Living Conditions: The individual(s) in question

• Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
• Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
• Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp/manager
• Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
• Is not allowed breaks or suffers unusual restrictions at work
• Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
• Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
• High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior

• Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
• Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after someone brings up law enforcement
• Avoids eye contact

Poor Physical Health

• Lacks health care
• Appears malnourished
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture

Lack of Control

• Has few or no personal possessions
• Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records, or bank account
• Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
• Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)

Other

• Claims of just visiting and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
• Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or do not know what city he/she is in
• Loss of sense of time
• Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story

This list is not exhaustive and represents only a selection of possible indicators. Also, the red flags in this list may not be present in all trafficking cases and are not cumulative. Learn more at www.humantraffickinghotline.org.

Road Rangers To The Rescue

Have you ever been stranded on the side of the road? Well, now there is someone you can call. The City of Miami Beach has begun offering Road Rangers - a roadside service that patrols congested areas and high incident locations and are equipped with tools to assist incapacitated vehicles.

Road Rangers is free to those residing in or visiting Miami Beach. This complimentary service is operational during high traffic hours, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Click here for more information