Meet Smoke-Free NYCHA Liaison Equan Brown   

For those residents looking to quit or cut back on smoking this new year, Smoke-Free NYCHA’s Liaison team is ready to assist.  

Serving as community health workers, Smoke-Free Liaisons help create healthier environments across NYCHA by educating residents and staff about the Authority’s smoke-free policy (which reduces exposure to secondhand smoke), coaching smokers who want to quit, and providing various resources.  

Equan Brown is a former longtime resident himself and one of the newest Smoke-Free NYCHA Liaisons, representing Queens/Staten Island neighborhoods. After joining the NYCHA team this past summer, the Liaison recently spoke about his new role and his passion for helping community members live healthier lives. 

What drew you to this role? 

Mr. Brown: It was the opportunity to do meaningful work. Being a part of something that is geared toward helping underserved communities live a healthier and happier life is something that I always desired. After learning about the Department of Resident Health Initiatives, I knew that Smoke-Free NYCHA was exactly what I was looking for in a career.  

How does your background/previous experience connect to the program? 

Mr. Brown: As someone who was born and raised in various developments throughout the city, and as a former pack-a-day smoker, being part of this program feels like a full-circle moment. Not only am I working with the very same historically underserved community that made me who I am today, I’m able to support them in a fight against the very same addiction I once dealt with.   

How do you believe you can best assist resident smokers with quitting or reducing their habits? 

Mr. Brown: I think the fact that I’m from NYCHA for most of my life, it’s like we have a camaraderie to begin with. I can relate to the struggle and how much it takes to actually quit or cut back. Admitting to yourself first that you’re dealing with an addiction is a big hurdle. In my experience, a lot of people want to quit and as soon as they know that you have gone on that journey, they begin to trust the coaching more. I also try to give them the opportunity to take charge and meet them where they’re at. 

Can you talk about some of the recent work and outreach you are focused on in the community? 

Mr. Brown: I’m focused on providing education to residents about nicotine and tobacco use and its health risk factors, including risk management. I’m also helping residents obtain nicotine replacement therapy and bolstering community engagement between the department and residents. Many people don’t know that there are initiatives like ours in place that provide them the education and support.  

What’s one thing you wish residents knew about Smoke-Free NYCHA? 

Mr. Brown: I would just like residents to know that we are here to support them. We are here to be a bridge to a healthier living condition. We are here to help NYCHA residents and employees reach a smoke-free environment. 

What makes the new year a good time for residents to connect with Smoke-Free NYCHA for support and resources?  

Mr. Brown: The team has a lot of fresh ideas, the energy is high, and we are ready to go and help. We’re ready to meet residents where they’re at and do the work, and we’re excited about it as well. 

For more information about the support available from Smoke-Free NYCHA, please email smoke-free@nycha.nyc.gov. 

Any New Yorker who smokes and wants to quit can also get support by visiting the New York State Smokers’ Quitline online or by calling 866-NY-QUITS or 311.