New study recommends 1 alcoholic drink per day. Its researchers want clearer U.S. guidelines on drinking

Key Points:

• Robert Vincent, a former official under the Trump administration, accused that administration of sidelining a study on alcohol policy commissioned by the Biden administration, an allegation denied by Trump officials.
• The study faced opposition from the alcohol industry and congressional Republicans, who criticized it as biased and predetermined, while the Department of Health and Human Services affirmed it was reviewed properly alongside other scientific evidence.
• Researchers advocate for a stricter alcohol consumption guideline recommending no more than one drink per day for adults, contrasting with previous guidelines that suggested moderate drinking could have health benefits.
• The study focused on mortality specifically attributed to alcohol, avoiding confounding factors, and aligns with recent research indicating that lower alcohol intake is better for health, challenging older beliefs about moderate drinking benefits.
• About half of Americans aged 12 or older consume alcohol, making it the most commonly used addictive substance in the U.S., and the new findings support clearer, more cautious public health messaging on alcohol consumption.