Survey: 40% Of Food Service Workers Say Drugs, Alcohol 'Part Of The Workplace Culture'

The food service industry is often touched by drug use, particularly at restaurants. While this is conventional knowledge, addressing the issue calls for clear stats and numbers.

American Addiction Centers conducted a survey in which they asked food service industry workers questions about their substance use.

What they found is:

• 10% of workers say they work while under the influence of drugs on the majority of their shifts,
• 6% say the same for alcohol.

But it’s not hard drugs that food service industry workers love the most. Marijuana was the overwhelming substance of choice, with 81% of the people surveyed disclosing consumption.

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In terms of overall substance consumption, marijuana accounts for more than 45% of all substances consumed. Men were slightly more likely to use marijuana at work than women, with 79% of men and 74% of women disclosing use at work.

Check out the full findings here.

"Working in the food service industry often means working long hours on nights and weekends in stressful conditions for not much pay. These factors, along with others, means that workers in this industry may be more prone to using drugs or alcohol to get through the day or to unwind after a shift,” said American Addiction Centers spokeswoman Joy Sutton.

"At American Addiction Centers, we were interested in gathering some hard data on that stereotype. The survey we conducted showed that it can be true, with 40% of food service workers calling casual substance use part of their workplace culture.”

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Photo by Javier Hasse.