HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have revised federal guidance on alcohol consumption. The changes are detailed in a Jan. 7 report from the agencies.
The updated guidelines no longer specify a daily limit for alcohol consumption. Instead, they advise individuals to “consume less alcohol for better overall health” and recommend that those with a family history of alcoholism be “mindful of alcohol consumption and associated addictive behaviors.”
The guidance does not distinguish between men and women or address underage drinking, a shift from the previous year’s guidelines. It also recommends that pregnant individuals, those recovering from alcohol use disorder and people taking medications that interact with alcohol avoid drinking altogether.
The previous guidelines recommended limiting alcohol intake to “2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women.” They also detailed standard drink sizes — 12 fluid ounces of beer, 5 fluid ounces of wine and 1.5 fluid ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits — and cautioned that even drinking within those limits may increase the risk of death, including from certain types of cancer. Those health risks are not addressed in the updated version.
The revised recommendations come amid shifting public attitudes toward alcohol use. In 2023, 54% of U.S. adults said they consume alcohol, the lowest percentage in nearly 90 years of Gallup polling. Fifty-three percent of individuals said they believe having one or two alcoholic beverages is bad for their health; the percentage was around 25% from 2001 to 2011.
