Dr. Mercer Receives Award

By SHELLEY HANSON
WHEELING — Dr. William Mercer’s anti-smoking teaching tools include pigs’ lungs, straws and a 500-pound statue of Snoopy’s alter ego, Joe Cool.

Each Wednesday, the items are used to educate children in a different Ohio County school about the dangers of smoking. The students slide on gloves before touching the lungs — one set is pink, the other damaged purposely by smoke to show the children what 20 years of using tobacco can do to them.

The children breathe through the straws — one regular, the other with a very narrow tube — to learn how it would feel if they had emphysema brought on by smoking.

For his efforts to educate and his battle to provide Ohio County residents with smoke-free places to frequent, Mercer recently was named the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians’ Family Doc of the Year during the Scientific Assembly this month in South Charleston.

Mercer, who has a private practice in Wheeling, also serves as the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department’s health officer.

‘‘Dr. Mercer is the patient’s champion when it comes to tobacco prevention,’’ said Dr. Greg Juckett, president of the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians for 2008, in a news release. ‘‘He has shown unwavering courage in the battle to make Ohio County a smoke-free environment for his patients. He is an example to us all of a leader that sustained his focus and determination to accomplish the mission.’’

Mercer spearheaded the campaign to use Peanuts character Joe Cool to educate Ohio County school children about the ill effects of smoking. His own giant ‘‘Joe Too Cool To Smoke’’ statue, which Mercer received permission to use as a public education tool for a year, travels with him to the schools.

On Thursday, Mercer said he was pleasantly surprised to receive the award from the academy.

‘‘It was quite an honor. I’ve been a family practice physician for 25 years, and I was very happy to accept this,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s nice to be recognized for the smoking issue, but it was not just me. There were numerous people who were behind me on this. This award could go to a lot of people.’’

He noted there still is more work to do related to educating people about the dangers of tobacco.

‘‘West Virginia is still No. 1 in youth smoking, youth spit tobacco and pregnant women smoking,’’ Mercer said.

According to a news release, the academy gives the Doc of the Year award to physicians who are ‘‘passionately dedicated to their patients, active in building their community, and are an invaluable role model to not only their peers but to medical students and residents who will be the future family physician.’’ Mercer noted the Scientific Assembly is an annual educational conference for physicians.