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GREENSBORO, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated dietary guidelines for Americans this week.
One of the most notable changes involved removing language defining moderate alcohol consumption.
“Alcohol is a social lubricant that brings people together in the best-case scenario. I don’t think you should drink alcohol, but it does allow people an excuse to bond and socialize,” said Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz.
From 2020 to 2025 the USDA guidelines recommended drinking in moderation.
“Moderation” was defined as limiting intake to two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women.
The new guidelines simply reads “consume less alcohol for better overall health.”
UNC Chapel Hill Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Nutrition Medicine Dr. Beth Mayer-Davis served on the USDA’S Scientific Advisory Committee for the dietary guidelines in the past.
She said the updated language is too vague.
“I think that it was a serious omission to not provide more information about what limiting alcohol intake looks like and why that’s important, especially with regard to risk for common cancers that people care about, like breast cancer and colon cancer. People care about those diseases. People worry about what might be contributing to risk for cancer,” the professor explained.
Mayers-Davis said the World Health Organization has long classified alcohol as a carcinogen, linking it to seven types of cancer.
“People need to have the information so that they can make informed decisions. And alcohol is not less of a worry. It’s more of a worry because the more we learn about alcohol, the more we learn that it is contributing to risk for cancer and other outcomes,” Mayers Davis said.
The latest state Alcohol and Related Harms Data also shows North Carolina experienced more than 5,800 deaths, 66,000 emergency department visits, and a loss of $15 billion due to alcohol use in 2023.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human services it was one of the highest on record.
But since then the number of people drinking nationwide has been declining.
According to a recent Gallup poll, young people’s perception of alcohol being bad for health rose to a record high of 66% in 2025.
And they are not the only ones calling it quits.
The same poll showed that the overall number of people reporting to drink fell from 62% in 2023 to its lowest record ever at 54%.
Bars on Spring Garden Street like Bites and Pints have long been a hub for college students, including longtime customer and new general manager Allan Leondro.
“Throughout college I would go over to, you know, different places around, Spring Garden to grab drinks, grab food,” Leandro said.
He and his Operating Manager Ronny Real said they have seen the shift in the alcohol industry in real time.
“I noticed throughout the years the Gen Z, or younger, crowd definitely has decreased. During this time, it’s became more about health awareness. Basically, you know, just trying to balance out your lifestyle,” Real explained.
The managers said they have new promotions and deals to help draw out more people.
In the meantime they believe their customers will continue to drink responsibly no matter the guidelines.
“People have to be have to have a good balance. And I think that’s something that we’re seeing nowadays. Gen Z and younger people are considering that a little bit more drink, drink socially every now and then. Make memories with it. Use that as a space for you to have minimal, meaningful conversations,” Leandro said.
The new guidelines also advise people with a family history of alcoholism to be mindful of alcohol consumption and associated addictive behavior.
It advises people who should completely avoid alcohol include: pregnant women, people recovering from alcohol use disorder, anyone unable to control the amount they drink, people taking medications and people with medical conditions that can interact with alcohol.
Read the USDA guidelines in full here.
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Sasha Strong
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