Alcohol industry quietly shaped cancer health advice for years
The drinks industry channelled millions into health organisations and influenced the public message about alcohol and cancer risk for years. That is what an investigation by STAT News reveals.
Alcohol is the deadliest addictive substance in the United States after tobacco. Yet it was not until 2020 that the American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its advice to state that abstaining from alcohol is best for cancer prevention. For years, the organisation maintained that one or two drinks a day was safe, even as internal scientific signals pointed in the opposite direction.
Donations and quiet pressure
The STAT News investigation found that the ACS received millions from the alcohol industry through an annual gala in New York City. The reporters and former staff describe how that financial relationship created indirect pressure on scientific communication policy. Len Lichtenfeld, then deputy chief medical officer at the ACS, acknowledges he was aware of the conflict but did not fully disclose it publicly at the time.
Epidemiologists within the organisation had pushed for a stronger alcohol message since the late 2010s. That advice was only adopted in 2020, the year Lichtenfeld left. The ACS states the change resulted from a regularly scheduled update of nutritional guidelines.
A broader pattern: industry and public health
The findings fit a broader pattern also seen with the tobacco industry. Companies invest in philanthropy, science and politics to delay or prevent regulations that cut into their profits. In this case, the effect was to soften public communication about increased cancer risk from alcohol consumption, including at moderate levels.
From a longevity perspective this matters: alcohol consumption is one of the most studied lifestyle factors in relation to biological aging, cancer risk and brain health. When the public message about risks is softened by industry interests for years, that has direct consequences for individual choices and population health.
The debate over what constitutes ‘moderate’ and ‘safe’ alcohol consumption is therefore not only a scientific question, but a political one.
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