Mercer Receives Awards

By FRED CONNORS
WHEELING — Dr. William Mercer has been working for years to keep citizens of Ohio County from secondhand smoke — efforts that have been recognized at the state level.

Mercer, health officer for the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department, was given two awards Tuesday for his work in tobacco prevention.

Bruce Adkins, director of West Virginia Bureau for Public Health Division of Tobacco Prevention, presented Mercer with the first Division of Tobacco Prevention Award “for his leadership and undaunted public advocacy to protect the people of West Virginia from secondhand smoke”.

“This award is given to recognize an organization or individual who has made significant contributions to advancing protection of the public from secondhand cigarette smoke,” Adkins said. “In every sense of the definition, both personally and professionally, Dr. Mercer epitomizes what every health officer should be doing regarding secondhand smoke protection.”

Adkins said enactment of the Wheeling-Ohio County Clean Indoor Air Regulation is the best way to achieve that goal.

A second award presented by Adkins was the State Health Education Council of West Virginia’s Health Advocacy Award, recognizing Mercer’s leadership in developing and implementing innovative health promotion interventions in West Virginia.

“I accepted the award on Dr. Mercer’s behalf on May 1 at SHEC’s annual meeting,” Adkins said.

In addition to serving as health officer in Wheeling, Mercer has a family medicine and geriatric practice. He serves on several health-related boards and is a member of various professional societies.