OPINION:
America is facing a quiet but deadly crisis. In 2023, 178,000 Americans died from excessive alcohol use, a 29% increase over just a few years earlier (2016-2017), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite this, reports suggest that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., under pressure from industry lobbyists, is considering weakening alcohol-related recommendations in the upcoming U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
If true, this would be a grave disservice to the American people.
Alcohol is not just a recreational indulgence. It is a toxic, addictive substance linked to cancer, liver disease and early death. Two scientific reviews recently commissioned by the federal government reinforce what health experts have long known: Even low levels of drinking increase serious health risks. One study concluded that there is no safe level of alcohol use, a conclusion echoed by Canada, Australia and the World Health Organization.
Yet U.S. guidelines still suggest that men can safely consume two drinks daily. That advice is outdated and dangerous. New federal data shows that going from one to two daily drinks raises a man’s lifetime risk of alcohol-related death from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 25. That’s not marginal; that’s a public health red flag.
The financial costs are just as alarming. The CDC estimates that excessive alcohol use costs the U.S. economy $249 billion annually, mostly from lost productivity, medical care, criminal justice expenses and vehicle crashes. That’s a hidden tax on every household and employer.
Beyond dollars, alcohol plays a destructive role in suicide, violent crime and incarceration. Nearly 1 in 4 people who die by suicide have alcohol in their system. Alcohol is involved in nearly 40% of violent crimes and about 40% of incarcerations for violent offenses. In the workplace, it drives absenteeism, turnover and lost productivity.
This is why the U.S. Dietary Guidelines matter. They influence public policy, school nutrition, physician advice and family decision-making. Stripping them of accurate alcohol guidance to accommodate industry pressure is not just a misstep; it’s a danger to public safety.
To be clear, this is not a call for prohibition. Alcohol has long been part of our culture, and that won’t change, but public health agencies have a responsibility to serve the public interest, not corporate interests. At minimum, Americans deserve honest, evidence-based information.
If Mr. Kennedy is serious about protecting the health of American families, he should uphold the Department of Health and Human Services’ mission: to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, not shield industry profits.
We cannot make America healthy again while ignoring one of the leading preventable causes of death and disease. Allowing alcohol companies to shape federal guidelines isn’t compromise; it’s surrender.
Silence in the face of clear science is not neutrality. It’s complicity, and it puts American lives at risk.
• Mike Marshall is CEO of the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance and can be reached at info@alcoholpolicy.org.
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