Anthony Bourdain revealed the dark side of kitchens, and this is concerning addiction and mental health issues. A man who was the voice of restaurant professionals, earned excellent respect ad admiration from people in the industry, was a victim of substance abuse. Bourdain’s struggle with substance use was something that he talked openly but battled less with depression. The main question is if such as prominent person could end his life, what was it like for an average chef or a line cook who experienced the challenge Bourdain did? A more open discussion about mental health and substance abuse in the restaurant industry is necessary. The purpose of this paper is to explain substance abuse in the food or restaurant industry.
Substance Abuse in the Restaurant Industry
Statistically, about 8% of fulltime employees at the age of 10 to 64 use alcohol heavily in a month. A portion of these populations also use illicit drugs, and more than 9% of workers in a state like the US have a substance use problem. The majority of these mentally challenged people work in the restaurant industry or hospitality sector. Even though many people are working in food services and do not use illegal drugs or alcohol, substance abuse among workers is commonplace in most bars as well as restaurants.
Results from the national survey on drug use and health indicated that in 2015, 16% of employees in the accommodations and food sector have substance use disorders. The study also informs that employees in the food services have a high rate of drug use-monthly, with about 19% of full-time employed individuals abusing illicit drugs. Despite this problem, research shows that many workers may not be aware of what constitutes mental health issues. The truth is the use of antidepressant drugs as a quick fix for life struggles or getting drunk every night after shift can cause problems in the workplace. Substance use in the food or restaurant industry is a primary concern because this sector is the largest private employer in nations. By record, restaurant jobs are projected to outnumber manufacturing positions in the future.
Restaurants and substance use go hand in hand, often due to factors like the condition of the environment that make it harsh for workers. Typically, there are vital aspects to restaurant work that make it suitable as a ground for substance use. First, business nature is a factor with late hours, double shifts, or high stress that causes employees to use stimulants. Second, high turnover rates are also a problem such that most employed people are students who later move into other careers. Additionally, the low pay entry-level for kitchen staff make the position hard to be long-term. In that way, it is never hard for someone with a drug issue to get a job in any restaurant with little experiences or fewer references. The industry quickly attracts people who are already substance abusers. Access to substances is another factor; for instance, alcohol is served in most restaurants, and dishwashers or line cooks end up having something for their choice. An article published in the New York Times asserts that the restaurant industry breeds addiction with long working hours, few breaks, and easy access to alcoholic drinks. For most workers like bartenders, it can be hard to stay sober while they sample cocktails all night. The working environment in this industry could be challenging for an individual who has previously been admitted to a drug recovery facility.
Substance use in the working environment has adverse consequences, whether it is a restaurant, foodservice, or hotel. The most notable impacts include productivity loss, workplace accidents or injuries, increased illness, high rate of turnover, absenteeism, and reduced employees’ morale. Despite the drug-related or alcohol abuse problem that is within the foodservice industry, there are few resources to support workers recover from addiction. Many large corporations and about 755 of small-sized companies in the US have assistance programs for employees (EAPs). Yet, only 23% of organizations in the foodservice industry provide EAP support. Thus, there is a wide gap in the sector where life-changing values of EAPs are essential and in critical need. Also, it is difficult for most employees to get help since recovery resources are unavailable, not affordable, or are facilitated a time when workers are typically at work.
The news about substance abuse in the restaurant industry is real, and something must be done. The key to end the problem of substance abuse in American restaurants lies in the successful use of inpatient, residential, alcohol addiction and dependence treatment services, detox facilities, recovery programs, or organization. Having inpatient rehab, an issue like this will become a past. Although it might not be easy to convince someone working on a hotel and abusing drugs or alcohol to go to rehab, it is needed as a must overall. Most individuals would feel that they cannot afford rehab services, or they cannot attain, but this is a grim of addiction. People’s life is by far, most significant compared to financial circumstances.
Annotated Bibliography
The article, Restaurant employees, and food safety compliance: motivation comes from within, by Harris and co-authors inform on food security compliance by workers. According to this article, workers’ adherence to food safety in the hotel is a motivation from within built by an internal belief system. The relevance of this article is that it points out a crucial message concerning restaurants facing substance abuse problems. According to authors, restaurants with low pay, high turnover, and fewer skills finds it hard to make food safety a priority in hiring practice.
The article by Shani informs that there is a growing concern worldwide on the war against drugs. According to the author, set policies for domestic and international efforts on illegal drugs have been an utter failure. Hence, change is needed quickly. The article is significant because the author supports the idea that substance employees’ use of drugs at the workplace has severe impacts on productivity, and this point, the case with restaurant workers.
Shigihara, the author of the article, Health Behaviors in the Service Sector: Substance Use Among Restaurant Employees, is against the idea of using substances at places of work. According to this journal, using substances abuse in the work environment is not a healthy practice and ruins service provision in the sector. I choose this article because it supports the notion that restaurants in the US have high levels of alcohol and drug use. As such, there is an urgent need to support workers and occupational quality of life.
The article, A comparative exploration of foodservice workers’ illicit drug use, applies a statistical approach to inform how adults working full time in restaurant businesses use illegal drugs. Authors in this article employ studies carried in 2015 by the center for behavioral health and quality (CBHSQ). The relevance of this article is its strength to support substance abuse issues in food services with literature and research sources.
Work Cited