Why Did the U. S. Government Drop Plans to Cut Alcohol Limits?
Draft Proposal to Reduce Alcohol Limits
Last year, health officials at the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) drafted a proposal to halve the recommended alcohol limit for men. The proposal suggested men should have only one drink per day instead of two, while women's limits would remain unchanged. The goal was to update the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which influence school lunches, medical advice, and other policies.
The draft highlighted that alcohol can cause cancer and that reducing consumption to one or fewer drinks per day could save thousands of lives annually. David Berrigan, a former program director at the National Cancer Institute, supported the evidence, stating that even one drink a day could increase the risk of breast and head and neck cancers.
Trump Administration Rejects Proposal
The Trump administration did not approve the proposal. Instead, they published new guidelines that did not specify drink limits, only advising people to drink less for better health. This removed a 35-year-old recommendation where men were advised to limit alcohol to two drinks per day and women to one.
Public health experts warned that this change could lead to more alcohol-related deaths and diseases. Karen Hacker, former Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, noted that "moderation" could be interpreted differently, potentially increasing alcohol consumption.
Industry Influence and Lobbying
The Trump administration claimed their policies were science-based and denied alcohol industry influence. However, the industry had lobbied for years to disrupt health officials' work. The alcohol industry is worth about $1.2 trillion in global sales.
The U. S. dietary guidelines are often targeted by industry lobbying. In 2022, Congress funded a study on alcohol's health effects, conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Two former alcohol lobbyists stated the industry pushed for this study.
The NASEM study found that moderate drinking is linked to a lower risk of death from any cause, but it also noted some negative health effects. Meanwhile, an HHS-commissioned study warned that even one drink a day could raise cancer risk. Industry groups argued the NASEM report was more credible.
Criticism and Industry Backlash
In January 2025, a coalition of alcohol, agriculture, and hospitality associations criticized the HHS report, calling it flawed and biased. Priscilla Martinez, a scientist involved in the HHS study, expressed disappointment that their findings were sidelined.
After Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. became health secretary, major layoffs occurred at the health department. Two key officials who planned stricter guidelines were fired, and the remaining team was replaced. Dorothy Fink, a senior health official, took over writing the alcohol guidelines.
The Trump administration ultimately used the industry-preferred NASEM study for the new guidelines. Jennifer Tiller, a newly appointed senior advisor at the USDA, oversaw the guidelines. She had previously questioned the health officials' work on alcohol.
