A U.S. government-commissioned study that found even low levels of alcohol consumption increase health risks was published independently on Tuesday after being sidelined by the Trump Administration. The study, conducted by researchers under President Joe Biden's administration, concluded that one drink per day raises the lifetime risk of dying from an alcohol-related cause to at least 1 in 1,000, while two drinks per day increase the risk to 1 in 100. For American men, two drinks per day—a level widely considered moderate—raised the risk to 1 in 25. The research also linked alcohol to increased risks of certain cancers and injuries.
The Trump Administration opted not to include the study in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, instead relying on a separate study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. That study found moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of dying from any cause. The Alcohol Intake and Health Study was originally commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to update alcohol advice in the dietary guidelines.
Criticism and Controversy
The alcohol industry and some U.S. lawmakers have criticized the study's methodology, calling it flawed and opaque. They argue the process was biased and led by scientists opposed to alcohol use. Meanwhile, a group of six U.S. health officials had proposed tightening alcohol advice to one drink per day for all genders, but the Trump Administration ultimately published guidelines advising Americans to drink less for better health without specifying serving limits.
Political Tensions
Robert Vincent, a former Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration official who led the study, accused the Trump Administration of sidelining the research. Vincent, who was laid off in 2023, wrote in an editorial accompanying the study that evidence was ignored due to commercial interests. The Trump Administration denies the allegations.
The dispute underscores tensions between public health research and industry influence, with the study's findings aligning with years of research that no level of alcohol has a protective effect on mortality.