We're Sweeping The Harms of Alcohol Under the Rug

My review of what's happening behind the scenes as it relates to alcohol, health, and American government guidance.

The ongoing battle: Is alcohol healthy, or not?

You may have seen or read the recent NYTimes article, Federal Report on Drinking Is Withdrawn, published at the beginning of September.

Of course, the news is causing us so much whiplash these days that it was pretty quickly glossed over to move on to the next big headline.

But if you’re sober, sober-curious, thinking about quitting drinking, or simply someone who drinks and wants to know how it will effect your health: This article is written for you.

I’m here to tell you why you need to know about this, and how you can help get loud about this topic and share more with your friends, family, and loved ones.

Why are we discussing the drinking guidelines right now?

Every 5 years, the US Government releases an important report— The Dietary Guidelines for Americans. And this year, we’re set to release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 before the end of the year.

In my experience, this report is typically released just before the buzzer in November or December. And as the final few months of the year are looming, many of us are asking… What’s going to happen with the alcohol recommendations?

Keep reading as I share more important details on what’s to come for alcohol recommendations…

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Now back to the article…

The US Alcohol Recommendations haven’t been updated since 1990

Guidance on alcohol was first included in the US Dietary Guidelines in 1980, but no modifications to the recommendations have been made since the document’s release in 1990.

However, so much has changed as it relates to the research and science around alcohol’s influence on health.

The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans states:

“Alcoholic beverages—Adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink, or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women, when alcohol is consumed. Drinking less is better for health than drinking more. There are some adults who should not drink alcohol, such as women who are pregnant.”

Pretty vague, right?

What I like to point out is that other governing bodies around the world have started changing their tune on alcohol recommendations based on the latest research.