Health Professions Student Training

The Tobacco Free Florida AHEC Cessation Program offers education on a variety of tobacco-related topics to vocational schools, community colleges, and universities with healthcare programs. The goal is to ensure that all health professions students receive tobacco education during the course of their program, providing them with the skills necessary to work with patients and clients in tobacco cessation. Health professions students are targeted because most healthcare providers traditionally receive insufficient education in tobacco to be able to affect patient behavior change in the treatment of tobacco dependence.

Tobacco cessation presentations and resources are integrated into the participating health profession program curriculum and many times delivered by AHEC Tobacco Cessation/Treatment Specialist. Students who participate in this training program gain a better understanding of nicotine addiction, health effects of tobacco use, pharmacology and resources available to help tobacco users quit.

The trainings are free and provided through in-person lectures, labs, seminars and on-line classes. Presentations are based on the Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence and the CDC Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs.

health students training