The Trump administration has reversed a draft proposal that would have halved the recommended alcohol limit for men, Reuters reports, instead issuing new guidance that offers no specific daily limits and simply advises Americans to “drink less” for better health. The change ends a 35-year-old recommendation that men consume no more than two drinks per day and women one, marking a dramatic shift in U.S. public health policy.
According to former government sources and documents reviewed by Reuters, last spring a team at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had drafted guidelines recommending that men limit themselves to one drink per day. The draft, prepared as part of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, noted that alcohol is a known carcinogen and that lower consumption could save thousands of lives annually. Women’s limits would have remained at one drink per day.
Public health experts criticized the Trump administration’s new approach, warning that removing clear limits could lead to higher alcohol consumption and increased alcohol-related illness and death. Karen Hacker, former director of the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said the change opens the door for Americans to “redefine moderation around what it means to them,” potentially creating significant health risks.
The revision follows years of lobbying by the global alcohol industry, which generates around $1.2 trillion in annual sales, according to market research firm IWSR. Major producers such as Diageo and Molson Coors, as well as industry trade groups, campaigned to influence the guidelines, citing the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) study that associated moderate drinking with lower overall mortality while acknowledging some health risks.
The Trump administration ultimately relied on the NASEM study rather than an internal HHS-commissioned study, the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, which warned that even one drink per day could increase risks of liver, mouth, and throat cancers. Several scientists involved in the internal study expressed disappointment that their research, which Reuters reviewed, had been sidelined despite being considered scientifically rigorous.
The shift in guidance coincided with a major shake-up at HHS. Around 10,000 employees were laid off in a departmental overhaul, and key officials involved in drafting the stricter alcohol guidelines were removed or reassigned. Dorothy Fink, a senior health official with an endocrinology background, took over the project, while Jennifer Tiller, a USDA senior advisor with prior Congressional experience, also oversaw the new alcohol guidelines and met with industry representatives.
HHS defended the new guidance, asserting that it is based on evolving scientific evidence. Celebrity physician Mehmet Oz, speaking at a White House press conference, advised Americans to consume alcohol in small amounts, cautioning against drinking at breakfast and noting that there was no solid evidence to support the old two-drink limit for men.
Critics, however, argue the reversal demonstrates the influence of the alcohol industry over public health recommendations, while supporters frame it as a compromise between extremes on drinking policy. The debate highlights ongoing tensions in U.S. health policy between science, industry interests, and government priorities.
