Harm Reduction
The executive board and staff of Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid recently held an overdose prevention and Narcan training with several community partners.
We are happy to have had the opportunity to provide this resource to restaurant workers in the Pittsburgh area, as we recognize that drug and alcohol abuse is a major issue in the restaurant industry. We intend to use our platform to continue the conversation around substance use and harm reduction, particularly as it relates to our industry.
Why is Harm Reduction Important?
Of the various industries in the US, workers in the restaurant industry are at the highest risk of developing a substance use disorder. As of February 2020, 17% of restaurant workers were diagnosed with a substance use disorder. Low wages, irregular hours, and a high-stress work environment are cited among the common risk factors for drug and alcohol use. These factors have also been reported as common issues by local restaurant workers before and during the pandemic. Both nationally and locally, it is crucial to provide resources and advocacy to people struggling with substance use disorder.
From the National Harm Reduction Coalition: “Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use… Harm reduction incorporates a spectrum of strategies that includes safer use, managed use, abstinence, meeting people who use drugs “where they’re at,” and addressing conditions of use along with the use itself.”
Harm reduction, destigmatizing and decriminalizing drug use are valuable tools in the fight to end the opioid use epidemic and save our community members from overdose and death. Certain substances, i.e. alcohol and marijuana, don’t carry as much of a cultural stigma and users of these substances are less likely to be ostracized or categorized as addicts. This is not necessarily because they are less dangerous, but because of negative associations with other types of drug use rooted in racism and classism.