Mumbai: The city’s tobacco-free BEST Initiative has delivered a strong public health outcome, with 62 BEST drivers and conductors successfully quitting tobacco, which is 49% of the total enlisted for the quitting programme, according to survey findings released by the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) on Sunday.A baseline survey conducted in 2016-17 among nearly 3,000 BEST employees found that more than 65% of the workforce used tobacco, underlining the extent of the health challenge among drivers and conductors working under stressful and irregular conditions.A follow-up survey in 2025-26 covering 1,800 BEST employees showed that the intervention is producing results. It identified 249 new tobacco users, allowing CPAA to begin counselling and support, while also recording that 62 employees quit tobacco through the structured cessation programme. CPAA said this translates into a quit success rate of about 49% among those enrolled.The survey also flagged a rising burden of lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, especially among tobacco users, pointing to a broader non-communicable disease risk within the BEST workforce.Health screenings across 13 depots — Colaba, Backbay, Reay Road, Mumbai Central, Worli, Wadala, Kalakilla, Anik Nagar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Marol, Oshiwara and Dadar Workshop — detected early warning signs of oral health conditions including submucous fibrosis, leukoplakia and erythroplakia, all recognised as pre-cancer indicators. In one case, an employee required an immediate biopsy.CPAA said tobacco addiction among BEST staff is often tied to occupational stress, long and irregular working hours, fatigue, pollution exposure, irregular meals and workplace culture, making sustained workplace intervention essential.Anita Peter, executive director, CPAA, said the survey findings show that workplace-based interventions are helping employees quit tobacco and adopt healthier lifestyles. To recognise those who have quit, CPAA will felicitate BEST drivers and conductors on May 29.Dr Anilkumar Singal, chief medical officer, BEST, said preventive healthcare interventions are especially important for transport workers facing high occupational stress and irregular schedules, and that early detection through screening camps is helping prevent long-term complications. Encouraged by the findings, CPAA plans to expand the initiative across 3,300 BEST buses and 27 depots, targeting nearly 5,000 beneficiaries through continued awareness, screening, counselling, de-addiction support and follow-up care.
