UTEP nursing students helping HACEP residents quit smoking

UTEP nursing students are helping residents of the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (HACEP) quit smoking.

All of HACEP’s public housing units will become smoke-free effective in January. Because of this upcoming change, students have decided to take the initiative to educate residents about smoking cessation.

The CEO of HACEP, Gerald Cichon, said this new smoke-free policy is exactly what he wanted to accomplish.

“Implementing a non-smoking policy that may result in benefits of health and safety of kids at the same time is exactly what we want to do,” Chicon said.

Residents of the housing complex also said they are in favor of the students’ help.

“For the community to have an outreach program, I think it’s great,” one resident said.

The nurses will continue to educate residents at the beginning of UTEP school year, and the student nurses also received training in how to talk to people about kicking the habit.