Land of the Clam and Cod

Our license plates call the state "Vacationland." Signs at the borders proclaim, "The way life should be." Farther up the Interstate, "Drinking and driving don't mix" is posted on the median strip every fifty miles. Smaller signs on most state roads remind us, "Drunk driving is against the law." Every few months headlines decry "Maine's #1 Drug Problem." The articles are all about alcohol, most recently about the record amount of coffee brandy consumed in the state. We rank number one in the nation for per capita consumption; number two for booze in general.