Alcohol’s Health Risks Accelerate After One Drink a Day, Study Finds

Key Points:

• A government study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that health risks from alcohol begin with even one drink a day, increasing the risk of premature death, though the risk is small at one drink.
• The study showed that the risk of premature death rises significantly to one in 25 for individuals consuming two drinks daily, a level previously considered safe for men.
• This Alcohol Intake and Health Study was one of two reports commissioned under the Biden administration to update U.S. dietary guidelines, contrasting with a second report from the National Academies panel that suggested moderate drinking could be healthier than abstaining.
• The second report, which found moderate drinking less harmful, faced criticism due to some panelists' financial ties to the alcohol industry, which opposed the first study, labeling it ideologically driven and scientifically flawed.
• The Trump administration’s 2020 dietary guidelines recommended reduced alcohol consumption but did not specify daily drinking limits, marking a departure from earlier guidelines.