Cardiologist Says FDA Is 'Late to the Show' on Teen Vaping Crisis
*By Carlo Versano*
The shocking rise in teen vaping is a public health crisis that the FDA has been slow to address, according to a nationally recognized cardiologist.
Dr. Kevin Campbell, who is also CEO of Pace Mate, a digital cardiac monitoring service, said the [recent study](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/11/e-cigarettes-single-handedly-drives-spike-in-teen-tobacco-use-cdc.html) from the CDC that linked vaping to a spike in teen tobacco use shows that more serious steps need to be take. The first step? Get rid of the flavored nicotine "pods," which Campbell said are acting as a gateway for teenage beginner vapers to get hooked on nicotine.
"We don't know the long-term health effects yet," Campbell said. "I can't emphasize that enough."
While popular vape products are unarguably "healthier" than combustible cigarettes, they still involve the delivery of an addictive drug (nicotine), that is known to do damage to the heart and blood vessels. And there is not enough data on the additives and preservatives that go into the pods.
"They may be doing deleterious things to our bodies as well," Campbell said.
One in five American high schoolers now vapes, according to the CDC, which is enough to cause alarm at the FDA. That agency recently announced a crackdown on vaping companies that market to teens, but that's not enough, in Campbell's opinion.
"I think the FDA is a little bit late to the show here," he said. It's going to require a national education program ー think D.A.R.E. for a new era ー that explains the unknowns and risks involved in vaping. "We need to get ahead of it," Campbell said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/teen-tobacco-product-use-on-the-rise).
Several Silicon Valley insiders are being accused of contorting a 1990s-era tax break to avoid taxes on millions of dollars of investment profits. The tax break is known as the qualified small business stock exemption, and it allows early investors in certain companies to avoid half of the taxes on up to $10 million in capital gains. A piece recently published in the New York Times says venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz replicated the tax exemption by giving shares of companies to friends and family, who would otherwise face a 23.8% capital gains bill. The CEO of Roblox is also accused of replicating the tax break for his family members at least 12 times. Although the loophole known as 'stacking' is considered to be legal, the Times piece implies that the exemption has been manipulated for the ultra-wealthy to become more wealthy. Greycroft co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Alan Patricof joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There is a new player in the mobile app stock trading space.
Zingeroo recently announced a funding round of $8.5 million. The company says it aims to bring 'friendly competition' to stock trading, by literally breaking trading down into daily and weekly competitions between friends. Zingeroo also says it hopes its new approach can make trading more accessible, educational, and social than ever before. Zingeroo co-founder and CEO Zoe Barry joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more.
Stocks closed higher on the first trading day of 2022, with both the Dow and the S&P 500 hitting record closes. Apple and Tesla created momentum, with the tech giant hitting a $3 trillion market cap, and the EV maker reporting over 300,000 deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2021. Investors are taking an optimistic approach to start the year even as COVID-19 continues to linger and omicron cases soar. Rebecca Walser, President at Walser Wealth Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss today's market movement, her broad predictions for the year, and more.
As cell carriers AT&T and Verizon planned to roll out nationwide 5G service this week, the FAA and U.S. DOT are asking the companies to pause their plans so more research can be done on the impact 5G has on aircraft technology. The companies are refusing, citing French regulations that limit wireless signals around airports while allowing research to continue. This week's launch wasn't the first time concerns have delayed 5G — last year, Airbus and Boeing express concerns, pushing the deadline into November, December, and then into this year. So what happens now — and what happens next? Will 5G roll out this year as expected? Jon Swartz, Senior Reporter at MarketWatch, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the state of the planned 5G rollout, why the FAA and U.S. Department of Transportation are asking carriers to stall the launch, and more.
Tyrone Ross, CEO of Onramp Invest, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why he believes the current crypto slump is expected to persist and says that investors should be focusing more on Bitcoin's hashrate when it comes to metrics.
As the COVID-19 omicron variant continues to spread, thousands of flights have been canceled, restaurants and bars have been forced to re-adapt to outdoor and take-out dining, and consumers are canceling their travel and other plans. This all comes as the CDC recently updated its quarantine guidelines for people who test positive, slashing the isolation period from 10 days to five. That change was pushed by the airline industry as it continues to struggle with labor shortages. How will the variant continue to impact businesses large and small? Laura Reathaford, Partner at Lathrop GPM, and Tom Sacco, CEO, President, and Chief Happiness Officer of Iowa-based Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream, join Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss employment law issues related to worker safety during COVID-19 outbreaks, and how small businesses are dealing with the latest wave, respectively.
