Report: HHS suppresses major study that found link between alcohol and cancer

A major analysis that found evidence of alcohol consumption being linked to severe health complications—including cancer—appears to have been buried by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), despite the agency commissioning the study in 2022. 

In speaking to Vox, the three authors of the Alcohol Intake and Health Study said they were informed last month that President Donald Trump’s administration did not intend to publish the findings. However, there were no apparent issues with the methodology.

Instead, the authors said, its suppression is likely a result of industry lobby pressure, especially at a time when young people are drinking significantly less than the generations that came before them. As Vox noted, Gallup polling currently shows 54% of U.S. adults drink—down from 67% in 2022.

Notably, it’s also time for the federal government to renew its dietary guideline recommendations, which currently include limits on alcohol consumption. The industry lobby, joined by members of Congress, is hoping to see that limit removed entirely—something that would have been difficult to justify if HHS were to publish a large study showing that alcohol is a carcinogen. 

The authors of the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, who are from multiple institutions including Columbia University, said that, despite mounting evidence showing even moderate alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of cancer, less than half of Americans know of its carcinogenic properties.

One of their hopes was that HHS would start to advance awareness, as the results of their now hidden research were sure to make waves. According to their analysis, at one drink per day, a man has a one in 1,000 chance of dying from any alcohol-related cause. At two drinks, the odds increase to one in 25—that’s significantly higher than previously thought to be true. 

For more, read the full feature from Vox at the link below.