The Observation Deck

My query: "Do you have estimates in dollars on how much the alcoholic-beverage industry spends on advertising its products to consumers on an annual basis?"

ChatGTP responds:

"Yes, according to a report by the advertising intelligence firm Kantar, the alcoholic beverage industry spent an estimated $3.4 billion on advertising in the United States in 2020. This represents a decrease from previous years, likely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry.

The Kantar report further breaks down the advertising spend by type of media, with the largest portion going to television advertising (approximately $1.6 billion), followed by digital advertising (approximately $1.1 billion), print advertising (approximately $550 million), and radio advertising (approximately $150 million).

It's important to note that advertising spending in the alcoholic beverage industry can vary significantly from year to year and may be impacted by a range of factors, including changes in consumer behavior, regulations, and economic conditions."

No Level of Alcohol Consumption is Safe

Comments from the WHO:

https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04 ... our-health

Not sure I can top this.

Just how many new bars are being planned for Lakewood?

And, of course, sadly this:

https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/03/02/ ... -lakewood/

So difficult to know how to react to this tragedy

Stan,

This tragedy is to the extreme of the spectrum, but similar to a prior tragedy in Lakewood that occurred not that long before this one when two Lakewood area teenagers were killed in a DUI accident.

Even I enjoy the occasional old fashioned and I fault no one for enjoying the beverage of their choice in moderation.

Here I am belaboring the "obvious" to make a point that seems to be lost on most of our Lakewood civic leadership -- that we cannot build a vibrant and healthy community around bars/nightclubs as a destination.

Rather than limit the growth of urban bar density, our leadership made the decision to expand it onto our public rights-of-ways (sidewalks, etc.) on a permanent basis.

This is a wrong-headed and dangerous path, but seems to be embedded in our planning and our future.