With the crazy-long hours, the hard work, the easy access to alcohol—and more—it’s no surprise that the hospitality industry can be a slippery slope into substance abuse. In the face of this danger, hospitality pros are launching programs to confront the problem, says the L.A. Times:
A 2015 study found that those who worked in the food service and hospitality industry had the highest rate of substance abuse of any profession; rates of alcohol abuse were higher only in mining and construction. Depression, anxiety and eating disorders, issues that are often linked to substance abuse, are also all too common, masked by long hours and adrenaline, and by a commitment to the very ingredients that define the industry.
Imagine your food and wine, weaponized.
Ben’s Friends was started in 2016 by Mickey Bakst and Steve Palmer, two Charleston, S.C., restaurant veterans whose friend Ben Murray, a chef, committed suicide after struggling with addiction and depression.
Why is this suddenly gaining traction? For some, Anthony Bourdain’s suicide a year ago functioned as a wake-up call … Los Angeles Times
