Latest news with #moderation
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Trump admin to scrap alcohol limits in stunning U-turn
America is set to scrap its decades old recommendation that people do not consume more than two alcoholic drinks a day. Under the current guidelines, women are told not to drink more than one alcoholic beverage a day while men are told to drink no more than two. But now, sources say this could be replaced with more generic advice to drink 'in moderation' or to limit alcohol intake due to associated health risks. Three sources — who asked not to be named — leaked the proposed update to Reuters, potentially marking the first time alcohol limits have been changed since 1990. It is set to be revealed in the updated Dietary Guidelines, published every five years to give dietary recommendations to Americans, that could be released this month. The proposal moves America's guidelines away from its neighbor Canada, which recently introduced stricter guidelines urging Canadians to limit alcohol intake to just two drinks per week. It's a U-turn on the Biden administration's proposal to investigate emulating Canada's guidelines, revealed in a interview in 2023. Even moderate drinking is linked to some health risks, studies suggest, such as higher risk of cancer and dementia. A fourth source told Reuters that the updates to the guidelines were being made because the scientific basis for the current recommendations was 'limited'. One source said the new alcohol-related recommendation will probably be limited to a sentence or two in the new report. The new guidelines are being developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Junior is a known teetotaler, but has remained largely silent on alcohol — instead emphasizing whole foods in the upcoming dietary guidelines. Donald Trump also famously does not consume alcohol after his older brother Fred — an alcoholic — died at age 50 from a heart attack. In remarks last week, the 79-year-old President said his advice on good parenting was 'no drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes... I also say no tattoos'. Some experts had feared tighter alcohol limits would be set under the guidelines after a federal report released in January suggested just one alcoholic drink a day raises the risk of suffering from more than a dozen health conditions. These included a higher risk of colon and esophageal cancers and of liver cirrhosis. That same month, former US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murphy warned that drinking alcohol could raise the risk of suffering from seven types of cancer. He also recommended that all alcoholic beverages include a cigarette-style warning on their packaging to highlight the link between alcohol and cancer. Major industry players including Diageo — which makes Captain Morgan's rum and Smirnoff Vodka among others — and Anheuser-Busch — which owns Bud Light — have spent millions lobbying lawmakers over the guidelines and other issues over the last two years. The guidelines are reviewed every five years and have advised drinking as no more than one drink per day for women and two per day for men since 1990. Eva Greenthal, a senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit focused on nutrition, health and food safety, said the more general language expected in the guidelines was 'so vague as to be unhelpful'. Under such a change, the message that even moderate drinking can increase risks, especially for breast cancer, would get lost, she added. Two studies were produced to inform the development of the guidelines. The first found that moderate drinking was associated with increased risk of some cancers, but a decreased risk of dying from any cause and some cardiovascular problems like stroke. The evidence for some other health impacts was insufficient to draw conclusions, it found. The other report conversely found the risk of dying from alcohol use, including increased risk for seven cancers, begins at any or low levels of alcohol use and increases with higher consumption.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Health
- Reuters
Exclusive: US to drop guidance to limit alcohol to one or two drinks per day, sources say
June 18 (Reuters) - U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to eliminate the long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day, according to three sources familiar with the matter, in what could be a major win for an industry threatened by heightened scrutiny of alcohol's health effects. The updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which could be released as early as this month, are expected to include a brief statement encouraging Americans to drink in moderation or limit alcohol intake due to associated health risks, the sources said. The guidelines are still under development and subject to change, two of the sources and a fourth individual familiar with the process said. Currently, the recommendations advise limiting drinking to one serving or less per day for women and two or less for men, widely seen as a moderate level. Similar guidelines exist in countries such as the United Kingdom, which advises limiting drinking to 14 units per week, while Canada, however, has adopted a more cautious stance, warning that health risks begin to increase after just two drinks per week. Even moderate drinking is linked to some health risks, such as higher risk of breast cancer, though some studies have also found an association with possible health benefits, such as a lower risk of stroke. The fourth source said that the scientific basis for recommending specific daily limits is limited, and the goal is to ensure the guidelines reflect only the most robust evidence. The new guidelines, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are closely watched internationally and influence policies ranging from school lunch programs to medical advice. Neither department responded to requests for comment. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known teetotaler, has remained largely silent on alcohol but has emphasised a focus on whole foods in the upcoming guidelines. Some alcohol executives had feared a move towards tighter recommendations on alcohol intake as authorities like the World Health Organization upped their warnings about alcohol's health risks. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer and called for warning labels on alcoholic drinks. Major industry players, including Diageo (DGE.L), opens new tab and Anheuser-Busch InBev ( opens new tab, have lobbied lawmakers throughout the review process. Senate records show each company spent millions on lobbying efforts related to the guidelines and a range of other issues such as tax and trade in 2024 and 2025. Both companies declined to comment. The new guidelines are set to move away from suggesting consumers limit alcohol consumption to a specific number of daily servings, according to the three sources, who asked not to be named in order to speak freely. One person said the new alcohol-related recommendation will probably be limited to a sentence or two. Another said the existing numbers tied to moderate drinking could still appear in a longer appendix. While industry representatives have lobbied lawmakers on the guidelines or how they should be decided, some officials and researchers advocated for tighter restrictions. Reports intended to inform the guidelines have meanwhile drawn different conclusions about alcohol's health effects and the science around this. The guidelines, which are reviewed every five years, have advised drinking in moderation and defined that as no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two for men since 1990. Eva Greenthal, a senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit focused on nutrition, health and food safety, said the more general language expected in the guidelines was "so vague as to be unhelpful". Under such a change, the message that even moderate drinking can increase risks, especially for breast cancer, would get lost, she continued. Two studies were produced to inform the development of the guidelines. The first found that moderate drinking was associated with increased risk of some cancers, but a decreased risk of dying from any cause and some cardiovascular problems like stroke. The evidence for some other health impacts was insufficient to draw conclusions, it found. The other report conversely found the risk of dying from alcohol use, including increased risk for seven cancers, begins at any or low levels of alcohol use and increases with higher consumption.
The Verge
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Verge
YouTube has loosened its content moderation policies
YouTube has relaxed its moderation policies and is now instructing reviewers not to remove content that might violate its rules if they're in the 'public interest,' according to a report from The New York Times. The platform reportedly adjusted its policies internally in December, offering examples that included medical misinformation and hate speech. In training material viewed by the Times, YouTube says reviewers should now leave up videos in the public interest — which includes discussions of elections, ideologies, movements, race, gender, sexuality, abortion, immigration, censorship — if no more than half of their content breaks its rules, up from one quarter. The platform said in the material that the move expands on a change made before the 2024 US election, which allows content from political candidates to stay up even if they violate its community guidelines. Additionally, the platform told moderators that they should remove content if 'freedom of expression value may outweigh harm risk,' and take borderline videos to a manager instead of removing them, the Times reports. 'Recognizing that the definition of 'public interest' is always evolving, we update our guidance for these exceptions to reflect the new types of discussion we see on the platform today,' YouTube spokesperson Nicole Bell said in a statement to the Times. 'Our goal remains the same: to protect free expression on YouTube while mitigating egregious harm.' YouTube didn't immediately respond to The Verge 's request for comment. YouTube tightened its policies against misinformation during Donald Trump's first term as US president and the covid pandemic, as it began removing videos containing false information about covid vaccines and US elections. The platform stepped back from removing election fraud lies in 2023, but this recent change goes a step further and reflects a broader trend of online platforms taking a more lax approach to moderation followingTrump's reelection. Earlier this year, Meta similarly changed its policies surrounding hate speech and ended third-party fact-checking in favor of X-style community notes. The changes follow years of attacks on tech companies from Trump, and Google in particular is in a vulnerable legal situation, facing two Department of Justice antitrust lawsuits that could see its Chrome browser and other services broken off. Trump has previously taken credit for Meta's moderation changes. As noted by the Times, YouTube showed reviewers real examples of how it has implemented the new policy. One video contained coverage of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s covid vaccine policy changes — under the title 'RFK Jr. Delivers SLEDGEHAMMER Blows to Gene-Altering JABS' — and was allowed to violate policies surrounding medical misinformation because public interest 'outweighs the harm risk,' according to the Times. (The video has since been taken off the platform, but the Times says the reasoning behind this is 'unclear.') Another example was a 43-minute video about Trump's cabinet appointees that violated YouTube's harassment rules with a slur targeting a transgender person, but was left up because it had only a single violation, the Times reports. YouTube also reportedly told reviewers to leave up a video from South Korea that mentioned putting former president Yoon Suk Yeol in a guillotine, saying that the 'wish for execution by guillotine is not feasible.'
BreakingNews.ie
09-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Alcohol consumption by Irish adults falls by almost 5% in a year
The level of alcohol consumption by Irish adults has fallen by almost 5 per cent in the last year. The latest data has been described as consistent with a downward trend recorded over the last 25 years. Advertisement A new report by economist Anthony Foley found the average alcohol consumption per adult fell by 4.5 per cent last year to 9.49 litres of pure alcohol. This is a drop of more than one-third (34.3 per cent) since 2001. Total consumption in Ireland fell by 2.4 per cent last year to 41.5 million litres, which equates to an overall 4.5 per cent drop in alcohol intake per person when last year's 2.3 per cent increase in the population is taken into account. The report indicates that consumption tastes are also evolving. Advertisement Beer was the Ireland's most popular alcohol last year, with its market share increasing to 43.3 per cent despite an overall drop in beer consumption. Wine was the second-most popular drink, increasing its market share to 28.2 per cent in 2024. Its popularity has increased significantly since 2000 (13.2 per cent). Meanwhile, spirits fell to 22.3 per cent and cider fell to 6.1 per cent. The report was commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (Digi), which said the figures demonstrated that Irish people are increasingly drinking alcohol in moderation. Advertisement It follows other recent data which suggests that alcohol consumption in Ireland is now at average European levels. OECD data for 2022 revealed that Irish consumption ranks behind countries including France, Spain and Austria, and a separate report by the Health Research Board last year also indicated that Ireland's alcohol consumption was at average levels by EU or OECD standards. Donall O'Keefe, the secretary of Digi and chief executive of the Licensed Vintners Association, said the findings are reflective of a trend over the last 25 years. He has also called on Government to cut excise rates. Advertisement 'Today's figures offer clear proof of what many of us already know – Irish people are increasingly drinking in a restrained manner, with consumption continuing the downward trajectory that has been recorded since the millennium,' he said. 'In contrast to the negative stereotypes that once existed, alcohol consumption in Ireland is now at average European levels, with the purchase of non-alcoholic drinks continuing to increase. 'This downward trend also raises the obvious question as to why Ireland continues to have the second-highest excise rates on alcohol in Europe. 'Given that we now consume alcohol at average European levels it makes sense that we should pay excise at average European levels also. Advertisement 'This is particularly true following the introduction of minimum unit pricing which prevents the sale of strong alcohol at low prices in supermarkets and shops. 'Across Ireland, hundreds of small rural pubs and restaurants are struggling for survival due to repeated increases in the cost of doing businesses, including staff, energy and insurance. 'A cut in excise would offer these businesses an opportunity to continue acting as vital hubs in their communities, as well as a crucial part of our tourism product.' 'Digi will be seeking a 10 per cent cut in excise in this year's budget as an urgent measure to give these businesses a fighting chance of survival.' The Digi report was compiled by Prof Foley, associate professor emeritus at Dublin City University, using data from the CSO population and migration estimates for April 2024 and the Revenue Commissioners' alcohol clearances data.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alcohol consumption in Ireland falls by almost 5% in a year
Alcohol consumption among adults in Ireland has fallen by almost 5 per cent in the last year, new figures show. A report by economist Anthony Foley found that average alcohol consumption per adult fell by 4.5 per cent last year, to 9.49 litres of pure alcohol. The data is consistent with a downward trend recorded over the last 25 years. The fall represents a drop of more than one-third (34.3 per cent) since 2001. Total consumption in Ireland fell by 2.4 per cent last year to 41.5 million litres, which equates to an overall 4.5 per cent drop in alcohol intake per person when last year's 2.3 per cent increase in the population is taken into account. The report indicates that consumption tastes are also evolving. Beer was Ireland's most popular alcohol last year, with its market share increasing by 0.4% to 43.3% despite an overall drop in beer consumption. Wine was the second-most popular drink, increasing its market share by 0.1% to 28.2% in 2024. Its popularity has increased significantly since 2000 (13.2%). Meanwhile, spirits fell by 0.4% to 22.3% and cider fell by 0.1% to 6.1%. The report was commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (Digi), which said the figures demonstrated that Irish people are increasingly drinking alcohol in moderation. It follows other recent data which suggests that alcohol consumption in Ireland is now at average European levels. OECD data for 2022 revealed that Irish consumption ranks behind countries including France, Spain and Austria, and a separate report by the Health Research Board last year also indicated that Ireland's alcohol consumption was at average levels by EU or OECD standards. Donall O'Keefe, the secretary of Digi and chief executive of the Licensed Vintners Association, said the findings are reflective of a trend over the last 25 years. He has also called on Government to cut excise rates. 'Today's figures offer clear proof of what many of us already know – Irish people are increasingly drinking in a restrained manner, with consumption continuing the downward trajectory that has been recorded since the millennium,' he said. 'In contrast to the negative stereotypes that once existed, alcohol consumption in Ireland is now at average European levels, with the purchase of non-alcoholic drinks continuing to increase. 'This downward trend also raises the obvious question as to why Ireland continues to have the second-highest excise rates on alcohol in Europe. 'Given that we now consume alcohol at average European levels it makes sense that we should pay excise at average European levels also. 'This is particularly true following the introduction of minimum unit pricing which prevents the sale of strong alcohol at low prices in supermarkets and shops. 'Across Ireland, hundreds of small rural pubs and restaurants are struggling for survival due to repeated increases in the cost of doing businesses, including staff, energy and insurance. 'A cut in excise would offer these businesses an opportunity to continue acting as vital hubs in their communities, as well as a crucial part of our tourism product.' 'Digi will be seeking a 10% cut in excise in this year's budget as an urgent measure to give these businesses a fighting chance of survival.' The Digi report was compiled by Prof Foley, associate professor emeritus at Dublin City University, using data from the CSO population and migration estimates for April 2024 and the Revenue Commissioners' alcohol clearances data.
