BEST officials take a no-smoking oath on World No Tobacco Day

Local Press Co 5-point Snippet

1. On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day today, the city’s bus operator, BEST, has announced that around 100 of its employees have taken an oath against tobacco consumption.

2. The Undertaking observed that most of its employees from the transport department were experiencing health risks due to long work hours, excessive workload and exposure to various forms of pollution. The staffer’s reliance on tobacco further jeopardized their well being. According to data collected through BEST’s health check ups, 27,000 out of the total 45,000 its employees have some form of tobacco addiction.

3. Therefore, the road transit department has taken an initiative to curb the use of tobacco and created a de-addiction program with the help of Russan Health Care for its workforce. Around 100 of its staffers have already signed up for this program.

4. Through this program, the BEST will be distributing nicotine patches and conducting counseling sessions for its employees. The first counseling session will be held at Oshiwara Depot on June 1 and the second one will be conducted at Poisar Depot on June 8.

5. Moreover, Anil Kumar Singal, who is the BEST’s chief medical officer, announced that those who would not uphold the no-tobacco oath will face disciplinary action. The Undertaking’s chief Mohan Mithbaokar, also revealed that the operator is contemplating adding a no-tobacco clause for future recruitment.