New study recommends 1 alcoholic drink per day. Its researchers want clearer U.S. guidelines on drinking

By — Laura Ungar, Associated Press Laura Ungar, Associated Press By — Ali Swenson, Associated Press Ali Swenson, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/new-study-recommends-1-alcoholic-drink-per-day-its-researchers-want-clearer-u-s-guidelines-on-drinking Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter New study recommends 1 alcoholic drink or fewer per day. Its researchers want clearer U.S. guidelines on drinking Nation Jun 9, 2026 2:31 PM EDT A study commissioned by President Joe Biden's administration to investigate alcohol-related health harms was released independently on Tuesday, after President Donald Trump's administration decided not to feature the researchers' findings in new dietary guidelines as it faced pushback from the alcohol industry and a congressional committee. The findings of the study, in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, were in line with years of research, saying that health risks go up with just one drink a day and no level of alcohol has a protective effect on mortality. Even levels considered "moderate" raise the risk of premature death and more than 200 diseases, including heart disease and cancer, researchers found. The new study was one of two government reviews meant to help inform the new dietary guidelines. Released earlier this year, the guidelines advised consuming "less alcohol for better overall health." The authors of the independently released study say that didn't provide detailed practical advice about the risks of drinking. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. One of the officials involved in the study commissioned by Biden's Democratic administration accused Trump's Republican administration of "sidelining" the research — an allegation the Trump administration denies. Robert Vincent, a former Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration alcohol policy official who led the yearslong effort, made the accusations in an editorial published alongside the study. Vincent was laid off last year as part of a government reduction in force. "The challenges confronting alcohol policy today are not rooted in scientific uncertainty," Vincent wrote. "What remains contested is whether evidence will meaningfully inform policy when it conflicts with commercial interests." READ MORE: Why many Americans are rethinking alcohol, according to a new Gallup poll The dispute over the study underscored the increasingly tense relations between the medical and scientific community and the Trump administration, which has questioned or ignored longstanding science in its policymaking, fired a slew of veteran scientists from the federal workforce and cut scientific grants that proponents say help keep the U.S. at the forefront of medical innovation. Industry and congressional Republicans pushed back on the study After the study's researchers released a