Why Did the U. S. Government Drop Plans to Cut Alcohol Limits?

Last year, a group of health officials in the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) worked on a draft proposal. They wanted to cut the recommended alcohol limit for men in half. This meant men should have only one drink per day instead of two. Women's limits would stay the same. The goal was to update the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines affect school lunches, medical advice, and other policies. The draft proposal mentioned that alcohol can cause cancer. It also said that if both men and women had one or fewer drinks per day, it could save thousands of lives each year. David Berrigan, a former program director at the National Cancer Institute, was part of the group. He believed the evidence showed even one drink a day could increase the risk of breast and head and neck cancers. However, the Trump administration did not approve this proposal. Instead, they published new guidelines. These guidelines did not give specific advice on how many drinks to have. They simply said to drink less for better health. This change removed a 35-year-old recommendation. Men were previously advised to limit alcohol to two drinks per day, and women to one. Public health experts warned this change could lead to more alcohol-related deaths and diseases. Karen Hacker, who served as Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said people might interpret "moderation" in different ways. This could lead to higher alcohol consumption. The Trump administration claimed their policies were based on science. They denied being influenced by the alcohol industry. However, the industry had lobbied for years to disrupt the health officials' work. The alcohol industry is worth about $1. 2 trillion in global sales.The U. S. dietary guidelines are often the focus of lobbying by various industries. In 2022, Congress funded a study on the health effects of alcohol. This study was conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM). Two former alcohol lobbyists said the industry lobbied for this study. The NASEM study found that moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of dying from any cause. However, it also found some negative health effects. Meanwhile, another study commissioned by HHS warned that even one drink a day can raise the risk of certain cancers. Industry groups argued that the NASEM report was more credible. In January 2025, a coalition of alcohol, agriculture, and hospitality associations criticized the HHS report. They called it flawed and biased. Priscilla Martinez, one of the scientists who worked on the HHS study, was disappointed that their report was sidelined. After Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. became the health secretary, there were major layoffs at the health department. Two key health officials who planned to recommend tighter guidelines were fired. The remaining team members were removed and replaced. Dorothy Fink, a senior health official, took over writing the guidelines for alcohol. The Trump administration ultimately used the industry-preferred NASEM study for the new alcohol guidelines. Jennifer Tiller, a newly appointed senior advisor at USDA, also oversaw the guidelines. She previously questioned the health officials' work on alcohol.