Drug abuse in the restaurant kitchen within the restaurant staff is widespread due to the availability of alcohol and drugs in the restaurant and bars. It is easy to understand the need to control drug purchases by the employee in a restaurant. After all, there are customers and employees, and no one is going to want to serve or work in an environment where they know that the employees are buying and using illegal drugs.
Restaurant owners need to understand that drug addiction does not just show up one day; it takes time, money, and effort to develop drug addictions. There are some drug users who slip into drug addiction after years of being drug-free. The restaurant manager needs to be prepared for situations like this so that they do not have to fire employees when they find drug usage in the restaurant immediately. Read about some successful treatment for alcoholics.
The first step in learning how to deal with drug abuse in the kitchen is to change the environment of the entire workstation. Make sure you have clean plates and utensils, disposable dishes, and clean clothes available to use after every meal. Keep the room well lit and organized so that there is no easy way for drug abusers to get to their drug of choice. If possible, ask your customer about the specific smells and locations where they like to take drugs. This could be a crack pipe sitting on the counter, a syringe next to a bowl of soup, or another inconspicuous area in the kitchen.
To deal with drug abusers, remember that it is more important than ever to be aware of your surroundings. Drug abusers often move around the house, stealing and depositing their drugs wherever they can. Make it a point to know exactly where your drug abusers are at all times. Investigate suspicious areas in your restaurants for signs of drug activity, such as empty bottles, torn rugs, or evidence of drug residue on the stove or floor. If you suspect someone of dealing drugs in a specific area of your restaurant, document the locations and reports of suspicious behavior so that you can file a police report should it ever become necessary?
If an employee develops a drug addiction while they are working at a restaurant, it is important to address the issue before it gets out of control. It is not always easy to overcome drug addiction, but if you make an effort to address the problem, it may be possible to rehabilitate the restaurant worker. It may take professional help to get the restaurant worker’s drug use under control. The professional may be able to coach the worker to keep from developing a dependency on drugs while they are employed at the restaurant. It may take some professional help and guidance, but in the end, the worker can be rehabilitated and become a better part of the community once their drug addiction is over.