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).
The Competition and Markets Authority in the UK moved to block Facebook parent company Meta from acquiring the image sharing platform Giphy after saying advertisers and consumers would be adversely impacted. Hatem Dhiab, managing partner at Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment, joined Cheddar to break down the decision and noted that the CMA's order could also halt other big tech firms from making similar purchases in the future. "I think this is going to be true for Facebook, it's going to happen for other big tech companies — Amazon, perhaps Google, so it's interesting that the UK is starting this wave," he said.
Jennifer Lotito, president and COO at the non-profit (RED), joined Cheddar to discuss the CODE (RED) campaign as the organization looks to expand its mission to support both AIDS and COVID-19 relief. She explained that people can get involved in the campaign for Giving Tuesday and ahead of World AIDS Day by shopping (RED) branded products and even using credit card rewards points to add their own support. Lotito also pointed out that COVID-19 has also impacted HIV testing as people avoid clinics out of fear of the other pandemic.
Jack Dorsey has officially stepped down as CEO of Twitter.
In a statement -- he says he is leaving because the company is ready to move on from its founders. Tom Morton, Global Chief Strategy Officer, R/GA joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the implications of the move.
After a nearly 30-year saga, the New York Islanders have officially found a new home. The NHL team kicked off their very first game at the state of the art UBS arena earlier this month, bringing fans together in Belmont Park, NY.
The over $1 billion dollar project comes as the city attempts to return to normalcy. Tom Naratil, President of the Americas at UBS and Jon Ledecky Co-Owner of the New York Islanders joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the new beginning.
Walmart CEO Dough McMillon praised the Biden administration's efforts to ease supply chain constraints after the company saw a 26 percent jump in shipments over the last month. President Joe Biden had announced back in October that California ports would operate on a 24/7 basis.
Mike Proulx, VP and research director at Forrester, joined Cheddar to talk about what Jack Dorsey's departure from Twitter as CEO means for the social media platform. He noted that while Dorsey had been the face of the company, "he's been a part-time CEO" since also taking on the leadership position at Square. Stepping down from leading Twitter allows his replacement Parag Agrawal, the former CTO, to be a dedicated leader of the company. However, Proulx noted that Agrawal faces headwinds on policy and political ramifications that will come with the job.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority blocked Facebook parent company Meta's acquisition of the image sharing platform Giphy, stating that the deal would harm UK advertisers and social media users. Meta responded and said that it is considering an appeal.
