As one of eight tobacco prevention and control regional primary contractors (RPCs) in Pennsylvania, HPC oversees comprehensive tobacco prevention and control efforts in seven counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania, including Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, and Schuylkill counties.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Tobacco Control Project (SEPA TCP), funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and operated by the Health Promotion Council (HPC), delivers tobacco cessation, prevention, and enforcement services across seven counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
SEPA TCP leads the Pennsylvania Tobacco Merchant Education Initiative, educating retailers and the public on tobacco sales laws to prevent underage access and reduce youth nicotine exposure. Its statewide media campaign, Think Twice, was recognized with an award from the NIH Quit and Thrive Challenge for its community-driven approach to reducing tobacco use and menthol smoking.
Tobacco Compliance Checks aim to prevent a lifelong addiction to nicotine by reducing or preventing access to nicotine products (cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, smokeless tobacco, vapes, and e-cigarettes) among individuals under 21, Health Promotion Council conducts Tobacco Merchant Compliance Checks across the 7 counties of SEPA and Philadelphia. Compliance checks are unannounced visits to retailers in which a young person and adult ensure they merchant does not sell to individuals under 21 and follow up with citations to merchants not in compliance.
To anonymously report an illegal sale of a tobacco product to a person under age 21, click here to complete the online form, text the word “sales” to 1-888-99-SMOKE, or call and leave a message.
Smoking Treatment Accreditation & Recognition (STAR) is a tobacco dependence treatment accreditation program funded through a grant by the PA Department of Health and managed by Health Promotion Council, in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania. STAR’s mission is to facilitate the integration of tobacco dependence treatment into existing healthcare workflow. Our vision is to standardize best practices across PA healthcare systems.