Other Archives - Safety Watch

Roundup Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Risk

February 21, 2019

by victor with No Comment Other

Exposure to the chemical glyphosate, contained in Roundup has been linked to cancer or other serious illnesses.

RoundUp® Weed Killer

The product Roundup® is a broad spectrum herbicide that contains an isopropylamine salt of glyphosate as its active ingredient. In 1974, this product was first sold to farmers for commercial use. Since the late 1970s, the use of this herbicide has grown over 100 fold. This was especially true after Monsanto (the original developer) released Roundup® Ready Crops. These crops were resistant to Roundup® and allowed farmers to grow their crops without the fear of damage by blanket application of Roundup® for the control weeds in their fields.

Many researchers also believe that this increase in use was due to the widespread emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds. By the year 2007, Roundup was the leading product used in commercial agriculture and the second-most popular for home, gardens, schools, government properties, industrial sites, and other commercial applications.

Interestingly, Roundup® was developed to replace other herbicides that were causing well-documented problems. The problems included damage to crops, decreased efficacy of the products, and risks to human health. It was initially tested for industry standards including toxicity. Early reports found that glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) posed a relatively low threat to non-target species, including mammals. Because of this, leading worldwide regulatory agencies set high acceptable exposure limits.

Glyphosate Exposure

The current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acceptable Daily Intake (defined as the Chronic Reference Dose) is 2.0 mg of glyphosate per kilogram body weight per day (mg/kg/day). In contrast, the current European Union (28 countries) Acceptable Daily Intake is more than 5 times lower at 0.3 mg/kg/day (a level adopted in 2002). The data upon which these exposure thresholds are based was supplied by the manufacturers during the registration process (in 1986) and are considered proprietary. These reports are typically not available for any type of independent review.

Concerns about the carcinogenic properties of glyphosate-based herbicides increased after the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) re-classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2015. This decision was based on epidemiological studies that looked at occupational exposure and rodent studies which showed an association between glyphosate and renal tubule carcinoma, hemangiosarcoma, pancreatic islet cell adenoma, and/or skin tumors.

The IARC evaluation was based on the systematic selection and review of all publicly available and pertinent studies. The review of this information was conducted by independent experts that were free of any vested interests. They followed strict scientific criteria that are recognized throughout the world.

To reach these conclusions that they drew from their research, the IARC reviewed approximately 1000 studies. Some of these studies evaluated people that were exposed through employment, such as farmers. Others were experimental research related to cancer and cancer-related effects.

On April 30, 2018, the EPA closed the 60-day comment period for their Draft Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments for Glyphosate paper that was released December 18, 2017. At the closing of this comment period, they stated that the “EPA is now evaluating the comments received and will consider any potential risk management options for this herbicide”. To date, no additional information has been released.

Researchers from the University of Washington have evaluated existing studies to look at the risk factors of exposure to the glyphosate-based herbicides including Roundup®. Their study results were recently published in the journal Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research on February 10, 2019. These scientists concluded that this exposure significantly increases the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of the immune system.

Lawsuits against Bayer

The first high-profile case that was filed against Monsanto in the U.S. District Courts, California Northern District, San Francisco. This case (Docket number 3:16-cv-01244) was filed by DeWayne Johnson a former school groundskeeper who was diagnosed with terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2014. As a groundskeeper for the school, he applied Roundup® 20 – 30 times per year. He also recalled two incidents in which he accidentally was soaked with the product.

The case was filed as a “Personal Injury-Product Liability” lawsuit and alleged that chronic exposure to the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup® caused the cancer that the plaintiff was diagnosed with and that the manufacturer of the product (Monsanto) did not sufficiently warn consumers of this risk.

The case was filed in March 2016. After the evidence was presented to the court and jury with just three days of deliberation, in August 2018 the jury found in favor of Mr. Johnson. They found that the weed killer Roundup® was directly responsible for the non-Hodgkin lymphoma that Mr. Johnson was dying from. The jury awarded DeWayne Johnson $250 million in punitive damages and about $39 million in compensatory damages.

After the verdict, Monsanto issued a statement saying it stands by the studies that suggest Roundup® does not cause cancer. The Monsanto Vice president stated, “We will appeal this decision and continue to vigorously defend this product, which has a 40-year history of safe use and continues to be a vital, effective and safe tool for farmers and others”.

One month later, Monsanto filed an appeal for a new trial and in October 2018, a judge from the San Francisco Superior Court denied a request for a new trial by Bayer-Monsanto but reduced the total damages from $289 million to $78.5 million.

In June 2108, Bayer announced that their acquisition of Monsanto was complete. With this, they not only acquired all of the rights to the product Roundup® but also all of the lawsuits associated with this product. At the beginning of 2019, it was estimated that the number of lawsuits that had been filed against Bayer had exceeded 9000. In the wake of these lawsuits and to cut costs following the acquisition, this German drug giant has announced that they would sell some of their brands and cut 12,000 jobs worldwide.

References:

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/glyphogen.html

https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/reregistration/fs_PC-417300_1-Sep-93.pdf

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(15)70134-8/fulltext

https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-releases-draft-risk-assessments-glyphosate

https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/draft-human-health-and-ecological-risk-assessments-glyphosate

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383574218300887https://www.courtlistener.com/?type=r&q=docket_id%3A4182663

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/10/health/monsanto-johnson-trial-verdict/index.html

http://www.pharmtech.com/bayer-completes-monsanto-acquisition-63-billion-0

https://non-gmoreport.com/as-roundup-lawsuits-mount-bayer-cuts-12000-jobs-considers-settling-lawsuits/

Tracy R Everhart, MSN, MS CAM

For more than 20 years I've had the opportunity to work in numerous rolls within the medical field, including the last 7 years as a professional medical writer. With an undergraduate degree in biology/microbiology, postgraduate education in allopathic and complementary alternative medicine, my education has afforded me career opportunities with direct patient care, medical research and clinical oversight of statewide projects to improve the health of patients of all ages. I have a broad and deep knowledge of illnesses and conditions that can affect the human body. Even more important is that I have learned traditional treatment methodologies combined with alternative forms, to make the most informed decision about options that may be available.

Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Complications

Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Risk

February 12, 2019

by victor with No Comment Other

What you need to know if you or a loved one used this product.

Written by Tracy R Everhart, MSN, MS CAM

What is talcum powder?

You will hear this product referred to as talcum powder, talcum or just talc. Talcum powder is made from a mineral called talc. It has been included in many different products and was initially marketed in the 1800s along with other feminine hygiene products. This mineral has historically been added to baby products and cosmetics because of its ability to absorb moisture and reduce friction. Because of this property, talc prevents rashes from moisture and allows cosmetics to be applied smoothly.

Talc is the softest known mineral and because of its properties, it is used for many other purposes. In 2011, about 26% of the talc consumed in the United States was used in the manufacturing of plastics because of its heat resistance and its ability to stiffen and prevent shrinkage of products such as polypropylene, vinyl, polyethylene, nylon, and polyester.

Unfortunately, talc and asbestos may occur naturally in close proximity to each other in some metamorphic rocks. Studies published as early as the 1960s and 1970s identified health concerns about the use of talc that contains asbestos in some cosmetic products. According to the FDA, those studies did not conclusively demonstrate such a link, or if such a link existed, what risk factors might be involved.

Health Risks of Using Talcum Powder

The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrances Association (CTFA) is the agency that regulates the cosmetics and personal products industries and in 1976 they issued voluntary guidelines for the use of talc. These guidelines stated that it should be standard that all cosmetics produced with talc should be free of any detectable amount of asbestos.

Talcum Powder and Ovarian Cancer

In 1982, a case-control study of ovarian cancer that collected information on talc use reported an increased risk with perineal dusting. Subsequently, cosmetic grade talc was nominated to the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) 10th Report on Carcinogens, but the decision was deferred. By 2006, the International Agency for Research on Cancer listed cosmetic (perineal) talc application as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

In the above case study, Dr. Cramer from Harvard University hypothesized that there was an association between talc and ovarian cancer. This was because of the similarity of ovarian cancer to mesotheliomas and the chemical relationship of talc to asbestos, a known cause of mesotheliomas. His research concluded that there was an association between talc and ovarian cancer. Despite these findings, manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson continued (and do to this day) to market and sell products that contain talc.

Exposure to Asbestos

Of all of the studies conducted over the years, the issue has been whether or not the talcum powder that was used for nearly a century, contained detectable amounts of asbestos. According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Exposure to asbestos has been shown through significant research to be the primary cause of mesothelioma and that there is sufficient evidence that it also causes cancer of the lung, larynx, and ovaries (International Agency for Research on Cancer).

What are the experts saying?

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies talc that contains asbestos as “carcinogenic to humans.” The also found, based on limited human study evidence, that the perineal (genital) use of talc-based body powder as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) has not thoroughly evaluated talc (with or without asbestos) as a possible carcinogen.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of a study that was conducted in 1972. “Fiber exposure during use of baby powders, report No. IWS-36-6” has stated that during the testing of nine commercial baby powers, seven were found to contain asbestos fibers (known to be carcinogenic) that could be inhaled on a regular basis, several times each day with each diaper changes and over time it could amount to a significant number of exposures. From this information, they determined that baby powder (talcum powder) that contains asbestos could be potentially harmful if inhaled.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a survey in 2009-2010. They identified 9 manufactures to explore and asked for their participation in the study, Only four of those manufactures agreed. The FDA does not have the equipment necessary to conduct the research that they wanted to do, so they contracted with an outside testing laboratory to complete these studies. They collected 24 talc-containing cosmetic products (including baby powder) from retailers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and found that none of them contained asbestos. They admitted that while the information gathered was informative, it was also limited. They will continue to monitor as new information is reported.

Lawsuits related to talcum powder and ovarian cancer

11/22/13 Deane Berg

This was the first lawsuit brought against Johnson & Johnson. Deane filed her lawsuit after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. A federal jury sided with Berg but determined that no damages were to be awarded. They believed that there wasn’t enough evidence connecting her diagnosis to the use of talcum powder. The jury did state that they felt that Johnson & Johnson was negligent, and women should have been warned about the potential risks associated with the use of talcum powder.

2/22/16 Jackie Fox

Ms. Fox was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away in 2015 before a determination could be made. Her case stated that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder for years. Her family was awarded $72 million dollars. The courts determined that her attorneys had proven that Johnson & Johnson knew about studies linking its products to ovarian cancer. Furthermore, they failed to warn customers about the possible dangers associated with its use.

5/2/16 Gloria Ristesund

This case presented the fact that Gloria used Johnson & Johnson powders that contained talc for decades before she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. A jury in the Missouri state court found Johnson & Johnson liable for failing to warn consumers about the risk of ovarian cancer when exposed to talc-containing powders.

10/27/16 Deborah Giannecchini

Deborah used Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder as part of her feminine hygiene routine for over forty years. She filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson in the state court in St. Louis, Missouri after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The jury in her case found that Johnson & Johnson was negligent for failing to warn women about the risk of ovarian cancer related to talcum powder. The court awarded Deborah a $70 million settlement.

5/4/17 Lois Slemp

A state court jury also in St. Louis, Missouri awarded Ms. Slemp $110 million. This was the result of Johnson & Johnson failing to warn her about the risk of ovarian cancer caused by talcum powder.

8/21/17 Eva Echeverria

A state court jury in Los Angeles, California granted an award to Eva in the amount of $417 million. The jury felt that Johnson & Johnson failing to provide a warning to her about the risk of ovarian cancer with the use of talcum powder. The verdict included $347 million in punitive damages. This large award was designed to send a loud and clear message to this manufacturer.

7/12/18 22 Female Plaintiffs

This case was also filed in the state court of St Louis, Missouri. The case involved 22 women that proceeded as a joint Plaintiff against Johnson & Johnson. The jury reached a unanimous verdict in a products liability case with a verdict that is one of the largest products liability cases in the U.S. The members of the jury agreed on an award of $25 million for each of the 22 women for compensatory damages and, in addition, they awarded an additional $4.14 billion in punitive damages. This award totaled $4.69 billion.

This lawsuit included women from across the US. They were varying ages and races, but all were former users of Johnson & Johnson talcum powder that developed ovarian cancer. Since that case was settled, six of these plaintiffs have died. It is estimated that more than 9000 former talcum powder customers have filed lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson. Most of these claims have been filed for damages for ovarian cancer, but some allege that using this talcum powder led to the development of mesothelioma.

References:

https://geology.com/minerals/talc.shtml

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0013935167900084

https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1971.tb00267.x

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/1097-0142(19820715)50:2%3C372::AID-CNCR2820500235%3E3.0.CO;2S

ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Documents/OEL/02.%20Kuempel/References/IARC_2010-Vol%2093.pdfhttps://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/testing/status/agents/ts-10167-p.html

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nioshtic-2/00106056.html

https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productsingredients/ingredients/ucm293184.htm

https://monographs.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mono100C.pdf

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/02/24/johnson-johnson-ordered-to-pay-72m-in-suit-linking-talcum-powder-to-ovarian-cancer/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c167f342707d

https://cvn.com/proceedings/gloria-ristesund-v-johnson-johnson-trial-2016-04-11

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/11/health/talc-ovarian-cancer-cases/index.html

https://www.bna.com/jj-face-nonmissouri-n73014472672/

https://images.law.com/contrib/content/uploads/documents/403/18584/Talc-appeal-7-18.pdf

https://www.npr.org/2018/07/13/628684038/jury-awards-4-7-billion-to-women-in-johnson-johnson-talcum-powder-suit

Tracy R Everhart, MSN, MS CAM

Human Trafficking

October 30, 2018

by Stephanie McHugh with No Comment Other

A person becomes a victim of human trafficking in the form of sexual exploitation or slave labor every 30 seconds across the globe, including in the United States. Each year, 5 million new victims of human trafficking are forced into becoming commercial sex slaves. Of those 5 million, at least half and up to 60% or more are children. Human trafficking is estimated to be a $150 billion business for traffickers. Whereas selling drugs or guns involves one-time transactions, victims of human trafficking are “reusable.” Karla Jacinto of Mexico City, Mexico, for example, has shared her story of being raped up to 30 times a day, seven days a week, between age 12 and 16—up to 43,200 times. Putting a stop to this growing crisis begins with raising public awareness because the facts indicate that anyone could become a victim at any time.

Human Trafficking Defined

Sex trafficking, as defined in federal law 22 USC § 7102, is: The recruitment, patronizing, harboring, provision, soliciting, or harboring of an individual for the purposes of a commercial sex act, in which said act is induced by coercion, fraud, or force, or in which the individual induced to perform a commercial sex act is younger than 18 years old.

Labor trafficking, as defined in the same law, is: The provision, transportation, obtaining, harboring, or recruitment of an individual for services or labor through the use of fraud, force, or coercion for the purposes of subjection to involuntary debt bondage, slavery, peonage, or servitude.

Reasons to Raise Awareness About Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a serious public threat. Although every January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, there is a desperate need for greater public awareness, to achieve the following and more:

To help people avoid becoming victims.
To shine the light on areas of society in which human trafficking is prevalent.
To learn specific strategies used by traffickers to lure children and other vulnerable individuals into sex trafficking or slave labor traps.
To recognize signs that an individual is a victim of sex trafficking or slave labor.

Some victims are used for both commercial sex and slave labor, which federal law defines as one of the more severe forms of trafficking in persons.

Some Facts About Human Trafficking

There are many misconceptions about this modern crisis. The following are some important facts about human trafficking:

More than 7,500 human trafficking tips were reported in 2016, and 2,075 of these tips, at least, involved U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
Sex trafficking occurs in many legal business environments, including escort services, strip clubs, and pornography operations. The setting is irrelevant because any person induced to perform commercial sex or slave labor is a victim of human trafficking.
Human smuggling is different from human trafficking. Human smuggling violates immigration laws, and those being illegally brought into a country are consensual participants. If a person who is smuggled in is forced or coerced into slave labor or commercial sex, he or she is a human trafficking victim.
Many sex trafficking victims do not realize that they are victims of exploitation or manipulation. Abused and vulnerable youth are the most frequent targets of sex traffickers.

Victims often fear authorities, fear retaliation by traffickers, or blame themselves. In the case of foreign nationals in the U.S., the victims often don’t know their rights.

How Do Traffickers Exercise Control Over Victims?

In a world so connected through the Internet and social media, how is it that so many people are being victimized by human traffickers?

The victims are placed in seemingly impossible situations, and they do not have access to cell phones or other electronics. The traffickers strip their victims of their identity. Identification documents such as passports, drivers’ licenses, birth certificates, and social security cards are taken from them. The victims may live in a crowded space with many others, or they may live with their employer. They are often forced to recite rehearsed or scripted answers to questions others may ask, or they are prevented from speaking with other people at all. Traffickers also use violence, deception, debt bondage, and threats on victims, to coerce them into engaging in slave labor or commercial sex against their will.

Where Do Acts of Commercial Sex Trafficking Occur?

Truck stop and hotel and motel chains are used for incidents of sexual exploitation at an alarming rate. Commercially-operated truck stops have extremely organized sex trafficking rings, and the fact that such locations are often isolated from public view and a law enforcement presence is much of the reason. The traffickers get away with moving freely with no detection or interference. Many truck stop facilities cater to their customers, becoming channels of various types of sexual exploitation, including sex with minors.

Hotels and motels often operate in a similar way, promoting and profiting from human trafficking. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, most calls reporting suspicion of sex trafficking involve hotels.

The Polaris Project, an organization on the frontlines of combatting human trafficking, said that an estimated 1,867 victims and survivors that were trafficked through the hotel and motel industry were identified between 2007 and 2015. Among those individuals, 92% had been victims of sex trafficking, 5% were used as slave labor, and 2% were used for both commercial sex and forced labor. Luxury hotels and low-end motels alike have been found to continually ignore evidence of human trafficking, and most have so far refused to implement anti-trafficking policies.

Human Trafficking and the Internet

The Internet has contributed significantly to the growth of human trafficking. Various social media websites are believed to be used for 86% of the child trafficking that occurs in the world. These websites have included Craigslist and Facebook.

Backpage.com is a now-closed website that was believed to have been involved in more than 73% of all reports of child trafficking in recent years. Billions of dollars were spent in advertising on the site, and words used as signals that minors were being trafficked were allegedly stripped from advertisements, so that the website wouldn’t lose out on the income from advertising. Allegedly, Backpage.com sanitized and censored words signaling that an ad involved a minor. Among those words were: “teen,” “innocent,” “Amber alert,” “daddy’s little girl,” and “young.” Once the changes had been made, the true intent of marketing children was hidden on advertisements appearing to involve legalized prostitution.

Protection Through Cyber Laws Erased

Loopholes in cyber laws allowed websites to escape liability for involvement in sex trafficking until April 2018, with the passage of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA). Previously, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 contained the loophole. Now its wording allows for prosecution and civil liability of websites proven to knowingly support, facilitate, or assist in sex trafficking.

Victims’ Stories

Many stories of human trafficking victims are being told, and many choose to remain anonymous. Two victims referred to as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 3 said traffickers shuttled them from trucks stops to hotels in the Houston area for nearly two years.

Jane Doe 3 says her ordeal began in her senior year of high school when a boy in class she was attracted to invited her to a party. She went, and he talked her into trying methamphetamine, making her a vulnerable target.

Jane Doe 1 said she thought hotels were supposed to be safe places for families. But she would be in a room next door to families, where she would be raped by anywhere from 10 to 20 men per night. She says that her trafficker got her started at a truck stop. He dressed her in revealing clothing and instructed her to knock on the truck doors and ask if they needed anything, which was a code to indicate she had been sent there for sex by a trafficker.

Both of the girls were shocked to find that they were overlooked, as though invisible. They felt it was obvious that they were being trafficked and yet they passed right by the valet, the concierge desk, and hotel maids in the hallways. It made them feel that no one cared about their situation.

Jane Doe 1 said that people would talk to her and see that she was a teenager and yet stand by and watch men going in and out of her room. She said the hotels are failing to take appropriate actions that could help people who were being victimized.

In Texas, where these stories unfolded, the law says that companies, their shareholders, and their executives can all be held civilly liable if they knowingly or intentionally profit from human trafficking.

In the past 10 years, Polaris Project has recorded more than 3,300 human trafficking cases in hotels, though they say that number is not an accurate representation of the full extent of the crisis.

How to Identify a Victim of Human Trafficking

Various organizations and businesses provide tips for recognizing a possible victim of human trafficking. They also suggest some questions that can be asked of the victim and actions you can take to alert authorities.

The following can be red flags or signs that a person is a victim of human trafficking:

Appears to be in a relationship with a person who is dominating over them.
Is never alone or someone always answers questions or translates on their behalf.
Tearfulness.
Appearing depressed, which may be manifested by looking fatigued, restless, sad, or hopeless.
Has no documents for identification.
Has unexplained cuts, bruises, or other signs of physical abuse.
Unable to provide an address on where they live.
Inconsistent details when relaying their story.
Under age 18 and providing commercial sex acts or any age unwillingly performing commercial sex acts.
Expresses fear of law enforcement or receiving help from any outside entity.
No control of their own finances.
Unable to schedule appointments or leave their residence or job.

Questions to ask a possible victim of human trafficking, if able to get him or her alone:

Are you being threatened?
How did you get those bruises? Is someone hurting you?
Are you free to leave your house or job whenever you want?
Are you paid for your job, and is it fair?
How many hours per week do you work?
Do you owe a debt to someone?
Do you live near or with your employer? Are there locks on windows or doors from the outside, where you live?

Take the following actions, if you suspect a person is a victim of human trafficking:

Ask the individual if you can help them to go immediately to a safe place.
If time is needed, create an action plan to provide them a safe place, for when they are ready.
Call the human trafficking hotline at 1-888-3737-888 or have the victim call the number. The hotline has language capabilities.

Sex Trafficking Cases in the News

According to a CNN story published May 8, 2018, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and taekwondo stars have been accused of sex trafficking. Four women who trained with a team of two brothers, including one Olympic gold medalist, have accused the U.S. Olympic Committee of ignoring reports of sexual abuse. They have accused the brothers involved with assault, rape, and other types of misconduct. USOC and USA Taekwondo are both accused of knowingly participating in sex trafficking and with allowing young women to be sexually abused by the brothers, who were involved with taekwondo.

In October 2, 2018, news from Reuters, Facebook has been sued by a woman who claims the social media website enabled sex trafficking. At the age of 15, she claims to have been raped, beaten, and sex trafficked by a pimp who had invited her to be a friend on Facebook. The woman alleges that executives of the social network were aware that their platform was being used to lure minors into the sex trade.

Legal Recourse for Human Trafficking Victims

Attorneys at The Johnston Law Group are involved with efforts to represent victims of human trafficking in civil lawsuits against employers that participate in sex trafficking and forced labor. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003 (TVPRA) is federal legislation allowing for this type of legal recourse. If you or a loved one has been a victim of human trafficking, contact the professionals at the Johnston Law Group by calling 844-464-0062 today.

Stephanie McHugh

Stephanie McHugh is a professional writer who specializes in legal articles, technical blogs, and website copy. She is a former Official Court Reporter for a District Court in Houston, Harris County, Texas; newspaper columnist; and teacher. Stephanie is a professional writer with extensive experience reporting on health-related topics for publication. She developed an interest in health-related litigation as a court reporter while taking depositions for a class action lawsuit. Through her writing, she has been glad to help raise awareness about public health threats, to benefit victims.