USAPA: HHS Hands a Win to Big Alcohol
New Dietary Guidelines Retreat From Science Amid Escalating Alcohol Harm
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance (USAPA) today criticized the newly released 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) for retreating from the best available science on alcohol's role in chronic disease and premature death. Despite decades of research — including federal advisory findings that no amount of alcohol is safe for health — the final guidelines fail to clearly warn the public about alcohol's proven cancer risks.
"The new guidelines are a win for the alcohol industry and its allies in Congress," said Mike Marshall, CEO of USAPA. "The evidence is clear: alcohol is a toxic, addictive carcinogen that kills about 178,000 Americans each year, a 30 percent increase in deaths over the past decade."
USAPA applauds the recommendation to "drink less," but says it falls short of providing the clear, specific guidance needed by healthcare providers and policymakers. Scientific consensus shows there is no healthy level of alcohol consumption.
The updated guidelines eliminate specific recommendations on daily intake, remove the definition of a "standard drink," and omit guidance that people under age 21 should not consume alcohol at all. Also absent are the key findings of the federally funded Alcohol Intake and Health Study, a comprehensive report Congress directed HHS to ignore.
Alcohol use increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colon, liver, and esophageal cancers, and is linked to heart disease, stroke, liver disease, alcohol use disorder, and a weakened immune system.
"Drinking one alcoholic beverage per day carries a 1 in 1,000 risk of an alcohol-related death; drinking two per day increases that risk to 1 in 25," said Tiffany Hall, CEO of Recover Alaska and Chair of the USAPA Board. "The public deserves transparent information, especially as alcohol-related harm continues to rise."
Last year, USAPA released its own independent alcohol consumption guidelines, grounded in peer-reviewed science and endorsed by public health leaders nationwide. Those guidelines state that abstaining entirely offers the lowest risk.
USAPA urges Congress and federal health agencies to release the full Alcohol Intake and Health Study, conduct an independent review of the DGA alcohol section, and establish safeguards against industry interference in future guideline processes.
About USAPA
Founded in 2014, the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance is the national voice on alcohol policy. Learn more at AlcoholPolicy.org.
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SOURCE U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance
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