US Health Officials Rumored To Eliminate Guidance Limit On Alcohol Consumption

(Photo: AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

The United States is reportedly expected to eliminate its long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol intake to two or fewer drinks per day.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that revisions are underway on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to the outlet, the Department of Health and Human Services is slated to replace its maximum drinks warning with a brief statement urging Americans to drink in moderation. The changes may take effect before the end of the month.

The report has not been independently confirmed by any outlet other than Reuters, which notes that the recommendations are still subject to change, according to two sources and a “fourth individual familiar with the matter.”

The news comes less than a year after a bombshell report suggested that alcohol consumption is linked to at least seven types of cancer. According to an advisory published by the HHS in January, as little as one drink per day can increase the absolute risk of cancer in men and women by 11.4% and 19%, respectively. The announcement drew headlines the world over. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy urged Congress to mandate labels with an updated warning.

Several politicians characterized the findings as a smear of the then-incoming Trump administration. Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said that the report promoted an “unscientific, predetermined narrative.” Weeks earlier, over 100 Congress members signed a letter urging the government to suspend a similar study, citing concerns of bias.

“Rather than examine all available science, the Biden Administration’s public health apparatus is once again cherry-picking data and operating in secrecy to drive its agenda before President Trump takes office next week,” Comer said in a statement. “…Americans deserve honesty from the federal government about the processes used to determine public health guidelines.”

President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., both known teetotalers, have yet to comment publicly on the rumored guidelines changes.

Elsewhere, alcohol advisories have been gaining momentum. In January 2023, the World Health Organization published a statement arguing that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for human health. Characterizing alcohol as a “toxic, psychoactive and dependence-producing substance,” WHO Regional Director Dr Jürgen Rehm implored European countries to implement cancer-related health labels akin to what currently exists for tobacco products. Irish legislators took note, signing into effect the world’s first law requiring alcoholic beverages to display calories, grams of alcohol and cancer and liver disease warnings on the label.