Florida Hospitality Industry Workers Face High Risk of Addiction Issues

The largest and fastest-growing industries in Florida are also the most likely to have drug- and alcohol-addicted workers. The hospitality sector infamously goes hand in hand with substance abuse. Part of the problem might be the employee demographic and part probably revolves around work conditions and availability of alcohol and drugs.

If you are an addicted worker in food service or any other hospitality job, the sooner you get control of addiction in Florida drug and alcohol rehab, the sooner you can move ahead into a healthier and more productive future.

Young People Often Work in Hospitality Sector Jobs

It is no secret that young people are susceptible to addiction. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)   explains that the rate of binge drinking in 21 to 25-year-olds is 43.3 percent. With a high volume of young workers in hospitality, addiction in food service workers might have less to do with the environment alone and more to do with the age of the people who work in the industry.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse says the highest level of prescription drug abuse happens in the 18-to-25 age group. Daily drinking, they explain,   is on the rise for young adults and so is marijuana use.

Alcohol Availability Makes Drinking Commonplace

Food service workers in certain restaurants have alcohol available and ready for consumption. English instructor and former food service worker Brittany Bronson writes for the New York Times that she frequently witnessed alcohol abuse on the job as well as after hours.

She explains that there is a tolerance in food service that makes substance abuse seem standard, noting:

“The social nature of food service can mean it becomes easy to define substance abuse behaviors as ‘typical’ rather than problematic.”

According to DrugRehab.com, hospitality leads every other industry in alcohol addiction and illicit drug abuse disorders. What is more, workers may abuse more than one substance, such as marijuana for smoothing the rough and stressful edges of the job and stimulants to stay awake.

Some Workers Use Stimulants to Handle Demanding Schedules

The work environment of hospitality industries, especially food service, makes it challenging for even the youngest and most energetic workers to keep up. Bronson says “late-night hours, long shifts without meal breaks and dark rooms full of people drinking” creates a breeding ground for addiction.

According to SAMHSA, illicit drug use in the hospitality sector is higher than any other and so is the rate of a substance use disorders. Over 19 percent of food service and accommodations workers use illicit drugs and over 16 percent have an addiction.

With Florida’s tourism-fueled abundance of restaurants and hotels, young people naturally gravitate toward those easy-to-find jobs. What might surprise you is that hospitality work and substance abuse are not just a young worker problem. Job availability means some workers choose to stay in hospitality for years, if not for life. When older adults have a substance abuse disorder, they tend to keep it for years.

With Florida drug and alcohol rehab, hospitality workers of every age can carve out a new future. Instead of a life filled with alcohol for stress relief and amphetamines to both stave off hunger and keep up a frantic pace, you can get clean and sober and stay that way for life.

It all begins with a call and ends with you in control. Contact us to learn about medically-assisted detox and a host of therapies and skills training that treat you as a whole person, not just as an addict.