40 percent of workers in culinary arts smoke, nearly twice the national average
Jump to full article: Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette, 2010-02-07
Author: China Millman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Intro: Dressed in their kitchen whites, the Le Cordon Bleu students stand out among the other smokers in business or casual garb who cluster outdoors on their breaks. They're also a vivid and troubling symbol of an industry where smoking has long been accepted.
Forty percent of the people employed in the food and beverage industry smoke -- nearly twice the national average, according to the 2000 U.S. census numbers.
"Hospitality workers have three times the [average] risk of lung cancer, which is 50 percent higher than any other industry," said Stacy Kriedeman, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
These health disparities helped motivate Pennsylvania's September 2008 ban on smoking in most restaurants and bars as well as other businesses and public places. . . .
Even after he became a father and purportedly quit smoking, original bad-boy chef, author and television host Anthony Bourdain continued to preach a pro-smoking gospel.
"I'm amused by food nerds who say, 'I'd never eat at a restaurant where the chef smokes.' Almost all the chefs I know smoke. ... I don't want to encourage anyone to quit smoking. In my experience, it really does make you cool," Mr. Bourdain told Time magazine during a 2007 interview.
Contestants on the Bravo reality show "Top Chef," which includes some of the most successful young chefs in the industry, are frequently seen smoking on the air. Questions about them smoking often come up on fan discussion boards, and people most often are curious about whether it impairs the chefs' crucial ability to taste and smell. . . .
. But some recent studies have concluded that along with other health hazards, smoking does significantly increase chances of experiencing a serious problem with smell, while heavy smoking increases risks to both smell and taste.
Ryan Soose, assistant professor of otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh, cited the results of a 2008 study in Germany in which 1,312people were given standardized taste and smell tests. . . .
In Pittsburgh, Le Cordon Bleu's William Hunt, dean of culinary arts, emphasized that school officials look down on smoking and that few of its instructors smoke. But he acknowledged that the school offers no programs or support groups to discourage smoking.
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