Cut the Cursing
The cover teaser “OMFG, BTV” on last week’s print edition is offensive and unnecessary for calling attention to the article referenced on page 15 [“On Message? Democrats on the Burlington City Council Talked Business — and Gossiped — in a Group Text Chain,” March 26]. “FG” doesn’t illuminate the topic or the reader and is part of a decline in language usage.
Seven Days is a precious and laudable publication. I’m a regular donor/subscriber and have been for many years. Please monitor and screen such usage, which only serves to offend many readers and does nothing to promote your publication or the content within. Thank you.
Janice Clements
Shelburne
‘Je Soutiens le Canada’
[Re True 802: “Désolé, Canada,” March 26]: I’m a dual citizen, a Canadian American. Reading your story about Karen Chickering delivering love posters to Canada prompted me to share an idea I shared with folks at a recent Montpelier pop-up rally called Honk If You Love Canada. What if instead of using our credit cards or exchanging U.S. dollars for Canadian dollars at the current rate of $1.43 Canadian for $1 U.S., we bring U.S. cash and offer it at par?
I did this yesterday on a trip up to Auberge le Sunshine, a wonderful bakery in Stanstead, Québec. I paid in U.S. cash, and when they said they couldn’t offer any exchange, I said, “Je soutiens le Canada.” I stand with Canada. It was much appreciated.
Let’s put our money where our mouths are and let Canadians know we are in this together. When we stand together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish!
Miriam Hansen
East Montpelier
You Have an AI Problem
[“Vermont’s Hangover,” March 19] was really well written and urgently needed. The pervasive alcoholism in this state isn’t taken seriously enough, and the article did a great job of showing both the alarming statistics and the human suffering.
I’m sure I’m just one of many who have praised the piece. That’s not why I’m writing, though.
Don’t use AI-generated images, and especially don’t put them on the cover. Don’t do it. Don’t buy into its fake convenience. Don’t listen to the bogus convoluted semantic debates. Just don’t.
The reality is that AI-generated images devalue the crucial work of graphic designers and visual artists (just as AI similarly threatens the work of writers, filmmakers and musicians). The tech industry has carelessly set a destructive wildfire across culture itself, and publishers that use cheap AI slop are helping the spread.
I doubt Seven Days would ever want pieces “written” by Google Gemini. So don’t use images from Gemini (or any other AI), either.
Ben Peberdy
Montpelier
Editor’s note: Seven Days is proud to feature — and pay for — work from local artists and photographers whenever possible; this cover story included four such photos. Art director Diane Sullivan had a concept for an arresting cover image, featuring a Vermont-shaped drink spill, that would have been impossible, or at least impracticable, to produce using other methods. Our editors agreed that this was the best solution. In the rare instances when we use AI tools to generate content, we will disclose it to our readers.
‘Balancing’ Isn’t Enough
Yes, budgets matter [“Mayor Floats Mergers, Cuts to Close Burlington Budget Gap,” March 24, online]. But so do the places that generate life, joy and revenue for our city. Church Street and the waterfront aren’t just icons — they’re our economic engines. And right now, they’re struggling under the weight of public safety issues and addiction crises.
If we want a broader long-term plan to stop cutting and start thriving, we need more than cost saving — we need a bold plan to revitalize. Safe, vibrant public spaces bring people back. Tourism returns. Businesses grow. Energy builds. And a stronger Burlington follows.
Balancing the books is responsible. But building a city that people are excited to return to — that’s economic leadership!
S. Gardner
Burlington
Some Bank
[Re “Primary Care Practice Sues Local Bank After Transfer Fraud,” March 27, online]: I read this article with interest because one of my bank accounts is with a large national bank. I am a very small fish in a huge pond. If the bank notices anything unusual with transactions, it notifies me immediately. I cannot fathom a bank with an “apparent commitment to fraud protection” not catching this fraudulent activity. Talk about not living up to your commitments. The medical practice was trying to use local resources, which is laudable. I hope it is not the loser for trying to do the right thing.
Virginia Small
Clarendon Springs
‘Milton Needs Leaders’
[Re Ways and Means: “Side Hustle: Four of Five Milton Selectboard Members Are Also Vermont Lawmakers. Here’s Why Dual Roles Such as Theirs Have Become Commonplace,” February 26]: The prevalence of dual office-holding in Milton isn’t due to a lack of public interest in service. Instead, it reflects a political climate that consolidates power and stifles fresh perspectives through disinformation and personal attacks. In the March 4, 2025, election, with 8,918 registered voters, only 1,877 ballots were cast — and notably, only one seat on the ballot was contested. The high number of blank and write-in votes further underscores the disillusionment many residents feel toward the current leadership.
Milton’s demographics are evolving, and there is an urgent need to bring in new and younger voters who can drive progress. The status quo, reinforced by dual office-holding, has created an environment in which potential candidates are discouraged from stepping forward due to a climate that tolerates intimidation and misinformation. This not only silences diverse voices but also prevents innovative ideas from taking root.
We must recognize that dual office-holding, far from being an administrative efficiency, has become a barrier to the civic engagement necessary for a vibrant democracy. A ballot with just one contested seat should be a wake-up call — Milton needs leaders who will set a higher standard, cultivate respectful and inclusive dialogue, and actively engage all segments of our community, especially the emerging voices of tomorrow.
It’s time for Milton’s leadership to progress alongside its community and embrace change that reflects the needs of a dynamic, forward-thinking electorate.
Lonnie Poland
Milton
Last Call
Colin Flanders’ March 19 cover story, “Vermont’s Hangover,” resonated with Seven Days readers, proving its point: While alcohol abuse is rampant in Vermont, it gets much less attention than other public health issues, such as opioid addiction. From the mailbag, here is a sampling of feedback about the piece, which was subtitled “The Green Mountain State has long had a drinking problem. It’s time to talk about it.”
Vermont’s drinking problem, as reporter Colin Flanders noted, has only worsened since the pandemic. We urgently need more treatment resources, including detox centers and licensed drug and alcohol counselors. Community members can help by reaching out to those whom they are concerned about, as many clients begin treatment following a conversation with a friend or family member who expressed care.
We must acknowledge that we are all affected by this issue. Only when the community fully embraces it will drinking receive the attention it needs. Let’s continue bringing it into the light.
Marc Richter
Charlotte
Thank you for your story. I support Rep. Kate Nugent’s bill to tax alcohol to fund some of the health care services made necessary by alcohol use. This would help the situation in two ways. First, people wanting to quit would have easier access services to help them do so safely. Second, if alcohol were more expensive, less would be consumed and fewer people would end up needing these services. It is entirely predictable that the need for addiction counseling, treatment programs and medical care goes up and down with the rates of alcohol use. These services are part of the cost of alcohol use and should be included in the cost of alcohol sold to consumers.
Bert Munger
South Burlington
Thank you, Colin Flanders, for addressing the “pink elephant in the room” that often hides in the shadows of our small but mighty state.
As a medical provider specializing in addiction medicine, I agree with you. The toll on Vermonters who struggle with alcohol-use disorder, and their loved ones, has been upstaged by the opioid crisis for far too long.
I’m currently employed at Sana at Stowe, a relatively new inpatient recovery center offering detox services and 30-day residential programming. During personal conversations with neighbors, friends and acquaintances, I’m continually surprised by how few are aware of this gem — or that many private insurance companies reimburse for our services.
Forgive the cliché: Help is available. Correction: High-quality care within a kind, compassionate environment is available. Right here, in Vermont, at the base of Spruce Peak.
Please don’t struggle alone.
Rebecca Hill
East Montpelier
I just want to applaud Seven Days and reporter Colin Flanders for highlighting Vermont’s consumption of alcohol. Alcohol takes many more lives across this country than opioids, and we have neglected to illuminate this problem.
While I am only two months on the path of sobriety, I feel the desire to offer and instill hope for others that they can quit alcohol. My journey is not much different, drinking off and on since my twenties and then really on for the past 20 years. As described in the article, I looked in the mirror daily, questioned my behavior and knew I had to do something. I didn’t like myself or my reflection.
I’ve benefited from medication-assisted therapy, along with self-determination, and don’t get me wrong, I still think of booze every day. But I feel so much better, sleep better, my skin is better, my patience is better, and my compassion for others is better. I am a bit more emotional because I care about myself and the world around me, and booze blunted that more than I wanted.
There is hope, folks. Find a friend, a partner, your primary care provider. Seek the help. You can do it if I did — believe me, you really can. I am no pillar of strength.
Seven Days, keep the light on alcohol consumption in Vermont. We need it like we need it on opioids!
Aaron French
North Middlesex
While I was very pleased to see your cover story, I was disappointed there was no mention of resources for those affected by others’ drinking: friends, family, coworkers. Al-Anon Family Groups are one of those resources and have roots in Vermont.
As Colin Flanders reported, the two founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, grew up in the Green Mountains. Wilson and his wife, Lois, are buried in East Dorset, where the Wilson House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lois cofounded Al-Anon in 1951. She and her cofounders realized they, too, needed to apply the same Alcoholics Anonymous principles that helped alcoholics with their recovery solve their personal problems. Alateen, for teenage children in alcoholic homes, began in 1957.
Here is the link to Al-Anon in Vermont: vermontalanonalateen.org.
Al-Anon and Alateen are anonymous, free and offer a source for hope.
Jeanette Voss
Bennington
Thank you so much for talking about Vermont’s drinking problem. I was a falling-down drunk. I’ve not had to drink in over 23 years. I’d like to offer some additional insight. I have a mental illness that tells me alcohol will solve my problems. Actually, alcohol was my medicine for a long time. It allowed me to survive trauma — until it didn’t. By age 38, I couldn’t stop. I have a mental obsession coupled with a physical allergy (I cannot metabolize alcohol like a normal person) that lead to a phenomenon of craving. The only treatment was stopping entirely. One is too many. A thousand is never enough.
Adding taxes to the adult beverage industry would never have stopped me from drinking. I would buy alcohol and stop buying food. Helping alcoholics requires an alcoholic being desperate to stop. Rehabs make a lot of money off of us, but unless there’s a plan for afterward, the alcoholic will likely return to drinking.
Don’t understand? Think about the times you promised yourself that you would not eat another pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Maybe it’s your phone. Maybe it’s gambling. Maybe it’s sex. Maybe it’s video games. Maybe it’s opioids. Helping people in recovery means losing the stigma and creating affordable housing along with affordable transportation to get to a job. Terrific resources for those desperate for help include intherooms.com and primetimeisnow.com.
Jackie Weyrauch
Lincoln
Alcohol is deeply integrated within Vermont’s culture. From craft breweries to locally distilled liquor, it seems as if alcohol is around every corner and sponsoring every neighborhood event. Fatal car accidents and chronic illness are taking the lives of Vermonters daily, and we deserve better. Alcohol is advertised as a glamorous entity and marketed in a way that promotes the false narrative that drinking will improve any experience. Raising the tax would be almost unnoticeable to those who drink in moderation but would create a reliable system for those struggling with addiction, as seen in the results from raising alcohol taxes in both Illinois and Maryland. Most Vermonters would not be able to tell the difference in cost if the tax were increased. This policy truly is in the best interest of Vermonters.
Addison Francis
Burlington
It is not news that Vermont has a drinking problem. We have had that for a long time. Research shows that education does not work well in reducing consumption. I grew up in Norway, where the drinking may be even heavier than in Vermont. In Norway, there is very little drunken driving because you spend 21 days in jail on your first infraction. Drinking and driving is cited in Colin Flanders’ article, but we don’t talk about an effective way to reduce it. It is time to make drinking and driving really hurt. Do something about it; don’t just talk about it. That is what Norway did, and it works.
Trine Bech
Shelburne
The recent Seven Days article on problem drinking in Vermont is appreciated. One unfortunate trend in Vermont and nationally is the increase in problem drinking among women. Alcohol is more poorly metabolized in women and can more rapidly lead to liver damage and death. The number of alcohol-related deaths in women here in Vermont seems to have dramatically increased.
Louis Meyers, MD
Shelburne
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This article appears in The Money & Retirement Issue 2025.
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