I just finished reading an article on the front page of Thursday’s paper headlined “State seeking tight rules on how opioids are prescribed.” While I am suspicious of any law that Gov. LePage proposes, I guess there might be some good points to it.

But the most shocking thing about it is this: On the back page of that section of the very same paper is a full-page ad, titled “Whiskey Fest” (with the curious tag line, “Drink responsibly”).

I realize this is not the age of Prohibition, but alcohol kills more people than drugs do. Yet we condemn drugs, while at the same time we seem to glorify drinking by offering great sales.

So whiskey is wonderful and opioids – even if prescribed for valid reasons – are bad. This leaves me a bit confused over our real moral values.

Why not be consistent and just offer prescriptions with the words, “use responsibly”? Or perhaps the Whiskey Fest ads should end with “Alcoholics Anonymous, jails, institutions or death are all available for those irresponsible drinkers”!

William Whelan

Freeport