Tobacco Initiative
MCBHC entered into its second year of the Commonwealth's Tobacco Settlement contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Mercer County has nineteen (19) contracted tobacco service providers who deliver a variety of services based on the nine (9) Best Practice deliverables required by the federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In collaboration with local law enforcement, the primary prevention unit conducted tobacco compliance checks on Mercer County businesses since 1997. Through this effort, the 95 tobacco retailers continue to be monitored in an attempt to decrease the sale of tobacco to minors.
A total number of 187 tobacco compliance checks were completed on 95 tobacco retailers for 2002-2003. The 187 compliance checks are conducted through multiple monitoring visits to the county's 95 tobacco retailers. Mercer County had a total of 142 "no sales" and 25 "sales" for 2002*2003, bringing Mercer County's overall tobacco sale rate to 13%.