The Chief of Alcohol Policies in the Biden administration, suggests that Americans might soon be advised to limit their alcohol consumption to just two beers a week. In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, George Koob, the head of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), indicated that the United States might consider adopting alcohol guidelines similar to those of Canada.
Koob stated:
‘If there’s health benefits, I think people will start to re-evaluate where we’re at [in the US],’
‘So, if [alcohol consumption guidelines] go in any direction, it would be toward Canada.’
‘Most of the benefits people attribute to alcohol, we feel they really have more to do with what someone’s eating rather than what they’re drinking.’
As of now, the guidelines in the United States suggest that men should restrict themselves to two alcoholic beverages per day, while women should limit themselves to one. These recommendations are set to be reevaluated in 2025. Meanwhile, Canada advises its citizens to limit their alcohol intake to just two drinks per week.
Koob expressed his belief that if this approach proves to have health benefits, it could prompt a reevaluation of the current American guidelines. He firmly stated that there are no physical health benefits associated with alcohol consumption and expressed confidence that the recommendations in the United States would certainly not increase.
Given this stance, Koob indicated that if there were to be any changes to the guidelines, it would likely be in alignment with the Canadian recommendations.
