OPINION:
After months of anticipation, the federal government released its updated dietary guidelines earlier this month. When it comes to alcohol, the message is refreshingly familiar: Limit alcohol for better health.
This principle has anchored U.S. guidance for decades, even as vocal activists and news headlines in recent years have veered toward abstinence absolutism.
The World Health Organization famously declared that there is “no safe level” of alcohol consumption. This sweeping (yet false) claim has fueled fear more than clarity. The U.S. alcohol guidelines take a more balanced and realistic approach.
The guidelines draw on the extensive scientific review conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, which defines moderation as up to two drinks a day for men and up to one for women.
That review found that moderate drinkers tend to live longer than those who abstain entirely and have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, but also a higher risk of breast cancer. In other words, the relationship between alcohol and health is complex. It’s not the overly rigid, prohibitionist message pushed by anti-alcohol advocates.
As Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz rightly noted when announcing the new guidelines, the health conversation around alcohol often ignores the powerful role of human connection. “Alcohol is a social lubricant that brings people together,” he said at a White House press conference on the new guidelines. “There is probably nothing healthier than to have a good time with friends in a safe way.”
That insight reflects a growing body of research that shows social isolation is one of the most significant predictors of poor health outcomes.
The context in which people drink matters. A glass of wine shared with friends is not the same as a drink consumed alone to cope with stress. Public health guidance that treats all drinking as identical misses the real-world dynamics that shape well-being.
I see this firsthand as president of the D.C. chapter of Women Who Whiskey. Our members come together not just because we enjoy the craftsmanship behind spirits, but because we value the community it creates. We talk about our careers, our families, our ambitions. We celebrate milestones and support one another through challenges.
These women understand that every activity, such as riding a bike or enjoying a cocktail or glass of wine, can carry some risk. They also understand the importance of making informed, personal decisions in consultation with their doctors.
As Americans absorb the new guidelines, it’s worth remembering that health is not simply the absence of risk. It is also the presence of connection, joy and community. The social, psychological and cultural dimensions of drinking, including companionship, relaxation and celebration, are integral to understanding alcohol’s real-world impact.
The updated dietary guidelines affirm what many already know: It’s OK for most adults to drink moderately and responsibly.
I’m hopeful these new guidelines will help temper public and policy discussions surrounding the moderate enjoyment of alcohol and curtail anti-alcohol activist efforts to stigmatize responsible social drinkers.
As a social drinker, I look forward to continuing to enjoy wine and spirits with friends in ways that enrich our social lives.
• Erlinda A. Doherty, a public policy expert and wine and spirits educator, is the president of the D.C. chapter of the Women Who Whiskey club.
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