Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Food & Life Working while drinking (and worse)
Posted by Cliff Bostock @cliffbostock on Wed, Jun 8, 2011 at 2:49 PM
The Chicago Tribune ran a depressing story about Chef Brandon Baltzey's struggle with substance abuse a few days ago. The author of the story, Kevin Pang, makes this observation:
The pressures of the kitchen drive an untold number of chefs into substance abuse. "Aside from officers and firefighters that put their lives on the line, there's no other profession that puts demands on an individual and sets (its workers up) so well to fall into substance abuse and failed marriages," said chef Phillip Foss of the forthcoming El restaurant. "And the vast majority of substance abusers just let it slide." But Baltzley sought treatment voluntarily, and in the process let go of a high-profile position many cooks would kill for.
Boy howdy. There's little that I've heard rumored as often as drug and alcohol abuse in restaurants. Over the years, I've had a number of clients (in my other work, psychology) decide to quit the restaurant biz because it fueled their addictive patterns. I wonder what could be done to make that less of a risk.
(Hat tip: Thomas Wheatley)
Comments (6)
Showing 1-6 of 6
Say no to performance enhancing drugs!
I've been told that "greenies" (amphetamines) were a bigger problem in baseball than steroids. Players took them to keep up with the long days, long games, long season, etc. I'd imagine that uppers are a bigger problem in kitchens than pot or other dopey drugs, as it helps them stay on their feet, awake, and focused. And it's just probably easier to get blow than ritalin.
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Aspiring chef I had known for years lost to meth a couple of years ago and crossed the yellow line after passing out after probably being up for 80+ hrs.
It kind of sucks how no sane psychiatrist would prescribe adderall to a cook, even though it's so much cleaner than anything on the streets and I think most of us could probably be properly diagnosed as ADD (I was, years ago.)
Unless like everyone at the restaurant does coke it's not a really open thing but everyone drinks heavily and openly smokes weed with like, seriously, zero exceptions that I can think of.
Somebody call the whaaambulance!
As a lawyer working for a firm where 80% of the employees work 70+ hrs per week, I have no sympathy. I keep my mouth shut (unless I'm downing my "energy" pills), get my work done, and go home.
If I don't like it, I'm free to leave.
the whaaambulance chaser is sad because nobody remembers he and his profession were rock star in the 80's snorting their "energy" pills
Yeah white collar is no stranger to the white lady either. See: the 90's tech bubble.
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