Americans could soon be urged to drink no more than two bottles of beer a week, under new guidelines being set by the federal government.
Two researchers who contributed to Canada’s controversial two-drink recommendation in 2023 have quietly advised the US on its new alcohol policy to be unveiled next year.
Dr. Tim Naimi and Dr. Kevin Shields are both listed as advisors on a scientific review panel that will determine the new 2026 U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
The panel will analyze scientific studies on the health effects of alcohol consumption and present their findings to the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD).
Republican and Democratic members of Congress have raised concerns that the panel is not impartial and that its conclusions may not be reliable — while critics say it is part of the “anti-alcohol movement.”
Three other advisers to the scientific review panel have publicly stated that there is no safe alcohol level, despite many health experts saying the evidence is less certain.
And one of the ICCPUD project directors who helped appoint the panel used to work for anti-alcohol lobbyists and has previously posted about “tackling the alcohol industry.”
Every five years, the US publishes recommendations on what to eat or drink, covering dozens of foods including added sugars, fiber and alcohol.
Concerns are being raised that the United States could move to recommending just two alcoholic drinks per week (stock image)
The last time it was updated in 2020, the guidelines recommended that American men should consume no more than two alcoholic drinks per day and women should consume no more than one alcoholic drink per day.
For decades, studies suggested that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol had some benefit, which was thought to be related to its de-stressing effects.
But in recent years, research has gone in the other direction.
Since then, many studies have shown that consuming alcohol in any amount increases the risk of everything from cancer to heart disease, liver disease and high blood pressure.
In December 2022, Congress appropriated $1.3 million to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) to study the health effects of alcohol consumption.
Their report will be published next week and will be used to advise on the new dietary guidelines.
In addition to this work, the ICCPUD has established a separate subcommittee and scientific review panel to also investigate the health effects of alcohol consumption.
The panel conducts scientific studies called meta-analyses, in which researchers analyze results from already published articles on alcohol consumption and health effects to assess the risks of alcohol consumption.
Their findings, and the ‘best available science’, will then be presented to the subcommittee, which will use this research alongside other research to compile its own guidelines and advice for the new dietary guidelines.
The results of these studies are expected to be published around or just before Christmas Day and the New Year period.
Pictured above are Dr Tim Naimi, left, and Dr Kevin Shields, who were both part of the Canadian report that suggested people should limit their alcohol consumption to two drinks a week.
Both reports will be used as the basis for the 2026 to 2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which are expected to be published late next year.
The guidelines will ultimately be signed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
These will be led by Donald Trump appointees, including Robert F. Kennedy Junior as HHS chief.
Both Donald Trump – a lifelong teetotaler – and Robert F. Kennedy Junior – a former addict – do not drink alcohol.
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Sources close to RFK Jnr. say they think he supports the new guidelines, but they would like to see the evidence on which the recommendation is based.
DailyMail.com reported in August 2023 that the US was looking at much stricter alcohol guidelines.
At the time, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was “absolutely untrue.”
The ICCPUD study on alcohol is overseen by Alicia Sparks, a project director with ties to anti-alcohol campaigns, including the American Alcohol Policy Alliance, which aims to reduce alcohol consumption in the US.
Three other scientists who have previously spoken out against alcohol consumption have also been appointed to the panel: Dr. Priscilla Martinez, Dr. Jurgen Rehm and Dr. Katherine Keyes.
Dr. Naimi, one of the Canadian report’s advisers who also advises the US, said in an interview with PBS last year: ‘Alcohol is one of the leading behavioral causes of health problems and deaths, as well as certain social problems and economic costs, ranging from things like injuries and accidents to cancers and even cardiovascular disease.
‘So it causes a wide range of health effects. And of course they have long been valued at high consumption levels, but even at some lower levels.
He added: ‘The most important point to keep in mind is that whatever level you drink at, consuming less is good for your health.’
More than 60 million Americans report binge drinking at least once a year, and on average, Americans who drink alcohol say they consume about four alcoholic drinks per week.
The National Cancer Institute says it is estimated that approximately 75,000 cancer cases are linked to alcohol each year, including cancers of the liver, head and neck, esophagus and colon.
The CDC says about 20,000 adults die from alcohol-related cancers every year.
Canada never adopted the two drinks per week policy recommended in a report by its researchers, and continues to recommend no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
DailyMail.com contacted HHS and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which oversees the ICCPUD, for comment.
A SAMHSA official told DailyMail.com that their investigation was “complementary” to NASEM’s work and would begin in early 2022.
They also said the study would “not make recommendations on alcohol consumption among adults” but would be “part of the larger body of research and data” that would be used to inform the new dietary guidelines.