New Alcohol Guidelines for Americans
A recent study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs suggests that Americans should limit their alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day. This recommendation comes from an international team of researchers and stands in contrast to current U.S. dietary guidelines.
The older guidelines allowed for two drinks daily for men and one for women, but the latest version, introduced by the Trump administration, is a bit more vague. It simply advises Americans to “consume less alcohol for better overall health.”
Priscilla Martinez-Matyszczyk, a co-author of the study and deputy scientific director at the Alcohol Research Group, pointed out that while the new “less-is-best” approach is valid, it lacks specific guidance. She believes people would benefit from clearer recommendations.
Martinez-Matyszczyk is part of a collaborative group of scientists from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. tasked in 2022 with reviewing alcohol research to assist in crafting the most recent dietary guidelines, updated every five years by relevant health departments.
The Biden administration did release the scientists’ report in January 2025. However, the findings were largely overlooked during the Trump administration, as highlighted by Robert Vincent, a former Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration official.
Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for HHS, noted that guidelines are shaped by the entirety of scientific evidence rather than one single report.
While the 2025 report detailed the health risks associated with alcohol, it didn’t set specific drink limits. The new study, not officially adopted as government policy, attempts to clarify that.
The researchers analyzed 56 systematic reviews regarding alcohol’s health impacts and associated these findings with U.S. mortality data.
They found that men consuming more than 6.5 drinks per week and women exceeding seven faced a more than 1-in-1,000 lifetime risk of dying from alcohol-related conditions. This risk escalated to over 1 in 100 for both sexes when intake surpassed 8.5 drinks weekly. When consumption reached 14 drinks a week, the risk jumped to 1 in 25.
“A 1 in 25 chance is quite significant,” remarked Jürgen Rehm, a senior scientist at the University of Toronto, and co-author of the paper.
The study also indicated that even just one drink a day could increase the risk of serious health issues like liver cirrhosis and several types of cancer — including breast cancer in women — when compared to non-drinkers. Interestingly, it noted a lower risk of ischemic stroke and heart disease linked to moderate drinking, yet this benefit is negated by binge drinking.
Overall, the negative impacts of alcohol-related injuries, cancers, and other diseases clearly outweigh any potential heart benefits, according to Martinez-Matyszczyk.
Keith Humphreys, a psychiatry professor at Stanford, who did not participate in the study, emphasized that the belief that moderate drinking is healthy is a myth. Many still hold the notion that consuming one or two drinks daily can extend lifespan.
The American Cancer Society advises those who drink to limit their intake to one drink per day for women and one or two for men. However, Dr. William Dahut, the society’s chief scientific officer, cautioned that for effective cancer prevention, complete abstention from alcohol is the best course.
Dahut further noted that individuals at heightened risk for cancer should be especially careful about their alcohol consumption.
Rehm suggested that the study’s conclusions reflect population-level mortality patterns. Still, personal circumstances play a significant role. He presented a hypothetical situation where one’s family history of heart disease might lead someone to drink occasionally for perceived benefits, while a different family background associated with cancer might sway one’s decision in the opposite direction.
