Live Coverage from the AAP National Conference & Exhibition 2011

HCPLive will be providing live coverage from the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition 2011 starting October 15. Notable sessions that our editors plan to attend include:

Human Trafficking: The Fastest-Growing Criminal Industry Worldwide

Speaker: Reena Isaac, MD, FAAP

Human trafficking is the fastestgrowing criminal industry in the world. Unlike sub-Saharan African nations, where children may be sold by family members out of desperation, traffickers in the United States target “throwaways.” The purpose of this session is to broaden knowledge about this topic, enlist advocates to help address at-risk children, and to help develop partnerships with existing community/national/international organizations.

Christopherson Lecture—Tobacco and Children: A Global Epidemic

Speaker: Douglas Bettcher, MD, MPH, PhD

This session will describe the global tobacco epidemic and its threat to the health of children and adolescents. It will describe the WHO FCTC, a legally binding international treaty that offers the tools to address this epidemic, including potential for partnership with civil society. This presentation will offer concrete suggestions on how professional and advocacy paediatric associations can make a difference in the tobacco epidemic and in the future of millions of children worldwide.

America’s Anti-Vaccine Movement

Speaker: Paul Offit, MD, FAAP

The history of the anti-vaccine movement and its impact will be put in the context of the lure of alternative medicines and the back-to-nature movements dating back hundreds of years.

Prescription Drugs and New Drugs of Abuse: Continuing Issues for Adolescents

Speaker: Patricia Kokotailo, MD, MPH, FAAP

This session will provide an update on the prevalence and trends of adolescent abuse of prescription medications and dextromethorphan-containing overthe-counter products. It will also provide a practical guide to techniques and tools for primary care office prevention, screening, and intervention related to adolescent pharmaceutical misuse.

Is Marijuana Really Medicine and a Generally Harmless Drug? Facts, Fictions, and Controversies

Speaker: John Kulig, MD, MPH, FAAP

This session will provide an update on the latest research and clinical issues concerning both medical and recreational use of marijuana. Tips will also be provided to help pediatricians counsel their teen patients, and parents of their patients, about these issues.