Question 6.80

6.80 E-cigarette use among the youth.

E-cigarettes are battery operated devices that aim to mimic standard cigarettes. They don’t contain tobacco but operate by heating nicotine into a vapor that is inhaled. Here is an excerpt from a 2014 UK public health report in which the use of e-cigarettes among children (ages 11 to 18) is summarized:

In terms of prevalence, among all children “ever use” of e-cigarettes was low but did increase between the two surveys. In 2011 it was 3.3%, rising to in 2012. Current use (>1 day in the past 30 days) signifcantly increased from 1.1 to , and current “dual use” (e-cigarettes and tobacco) increased from 0.8 to from 2011 to 2012.19

  1. The report doesn’t state the null and alternative hypotheses for each of the reported estimates with -values. What are the implicit competing hypotheses?
  2. Can you say that the changes in usage are signifcant at the 1% level? Explain.