DR. Gary Kirkilas

What has changed in the realm of the drugs and substances that youth use?

This talk discusses the changing landscape of youth substance use and includes:

• How substances like cannabis now come in new forms like cannabis-infused gummies, snack foods like nacho chips, beverages and vape pens which are more enticing to youth.

• How the delivery methods like vape pens are manufactured to look like everyday items like jump drives, ballpoint pens and highlighters

This inspirational talk tells tales from the rough streets of Phoenix, Arizona where a pediatrician on a mobile medical bus travels from shelter to shelter providing free medical care.

Dr. Gary Kirkilas relates heartbreaking stories of families and teens struggling to scrape by, while giving inspiring stories of hope and resilience. Audience members learn how, armed with a 40- foot mobile medical clinic complete with two exam rooms, a pharmacy and laboratory inside, Dr. Kirkilas provides much needed medical care for those truly in need.

Physicians are natural advocates for our patients. Many healthcare decisions are no longer being made on the exam table but at state and federal capitals.

This talk helps physicians and other healthcare providers learn the in's and out's of how new healthcare bills process through the legislative branch of local and national governments. This is done by following a hypothetical bill from its inception to the moment it gets signed into law.

• A systematic review of how some in the Cannabis Industry are borrowing the youth targeting marketing tactics that were once used by the Tobacco Industry.

• A advertisement driven presentation that includes numerous vivid examples of advertisements demonstrating the systematic and calculated approach to target youth

• Review of what current research shows regarding the impact of cannabis advertisements have on youth

• Review of what several US states have done with legislative bills to curtail youth targeting advertisements.