Statement re: Revision of Federal Dietary Guidelines Regarding Alcohol

National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Monday, 8 March 1999

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) appreciates the opportunity to testify before the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee regarding the consumption of alcoholic beverages. NCADD believes the new Guidelines should reflect the latest scientific research and be as specific as possible, both on the risks and benefits, about drinking at moderate and heavier than moderate levels. We strongly urge you to develop a guideline that, based on science, is not used as a prescription to drink.

Two sentences in the current Guidelines, which have been exploited by members of the alcoholic beverage industry, must be addressed. NCADD strongly urges you to eliminate the reference to alcoholic beverages' enhancing the enjoyment of meals for two reasons: 1) it is rhetoric not based on science and 2) this kind of language is not included in any other section of the Guidelines.

Members of the industry also have misused the sentence regarding evidence that moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease. The revised Guidelines must eliminate the term "some individuals" and be very specific about which populations, according to scientific research, might benefit from moderate drinking. Alcoholics and other heavy drinkers, of whom there are over 14 million in the United States, are most likely to be misled by information suggesting that alcohol consumption has potential health benefits.

Unlike other products listed in the Guidelines, alcohol is a potentially addictive drug. The Guidelines should be more specific about the risks associated with underage drinking and refer to a recent study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This research demonstrated that early use of alcohol, in the adolescent and teen years, greatly increases the chance of alcoholism or other alcohol-related problems later in life. NCADD supports continued inclusion of the definition of moderate drinking as no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men. However, it should be modified to specifically address men over 65. Because of changes in their body composition, moderate drinking is defined for this population as no more than one drink a day. The Guidelines also must continue to list the five groups of people who should not drink alcoholic beverages at all. NCADD, based on the policy statement of our Medical/Scientific Committee, encourages you to add this language:

No alcoholic should be encouraged to drink and alcoholics, by definition, cannot drink moderately.

It is critical that the revised version of the Dietary Guidelines not be a document that can be exploited as a government-sanctioned endorsement to drink alcohol for health benefits. Alcohol consumption is still the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States and for most people, the risks still far outweigh any potential benefits.

For more information, or to contact National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence, see their website at: www.ncadd.org